Destination Trust
by uniqueinkblots
Summary: FutureFicAU!Peddie. Eddie is an aspiring writer who is devoid of inspiration. Patricia is a busy law student who happens to be his new neighbor. Eddie firmly believes that this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. Patricia is not one to blindly trust, even though she really wants to.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hi there! I am here with a Eddie/Patricia future fic as promised. Consider the first chapter an introduction of sorts. I don't know how often I'll be updating this fic, but I'm too excited about it to abandon it like previous efforts. I do not have a beta so all mistakes are my own. Without further ado, here is the first chapter._  
_

**Disclaimer: **House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Patricia Williamson had always been guarded. She personally subscribed to the theory that shutting people out hurt far less than potential disappointment and rejection. Taking risks was not a concept she was familiar with. In her experience, there had never been a chance to establish proper relationships and build trust with her peers. Not when her family was constantly on the go.

When she looked back on her past, she didn't picture a childhood home with sweet memories of afternoons in the park or winters by a fireplace. All she saw was a blur of different buildings in which she had once resided. She saw several houses, but not a single _home_. That's because she had never had one.

Samuel Williamson's job required moving around the United Kingdom. As a high-ranking officer in the British Armed Forces, it was expected he relocate as instructed. He never defied orders, no matter how drastic.

And Patricia believed that moving around was more than just drastic. Her entire _world _was uprooted, time and time again. So after the first couple of moves, starting over seemed pointless. Why bother making friends when it always ended the same? Her family never stayed in place. It wasn't worth being social.

It didn't help that her mother and her twin sister didn't share her views. Piper was supposed to be on her side! They were biologically _identical, _so why weren't their opinions? But Piper never minded. To her, it was one big adventure. When Piper looked back on her childhood, she pictured moving trucks and friends spread across the nation.

But eventually, Patricia convinced her parents that boarding school was a good idea. Even Elizabeth could see that her poor child was miserable. And it was decided: a special music school for Piper and her budding talent and an elite boarding school for Patricia and her negative attitude.

Still, she grew close to no one. Anubis House was full with all kinds of unique characters but by then, it was too late. Patricia had grown up believing that relationships were utterly pointless. Samuel and Elizabeth Williamson had unintentionally made sure of that.

Her senior year of high school, she applied to schools across the Atlantic. She received her undergraduate degree at a small liberal arts college and continued on to law school. The reason being, it was unexpected. Her parents never imagined she would progress so far in her education. Neither did Patricia but she wanted to prove them wrong. Plus...the idea of getting paid to argue for a living. She loved it.

* * *

Edison Sweet had always known that he was a little different. Sure, he'd been a pretty normal kid. He played soccer after school with the neighborhood children and he pulled crazy pranks on the girls in his grade like his life depended on it. But his home life is what made him different. All of his friends lived with their mother _and _their father, but Eddie lived with only his mom. Not that he minded. He saw his father during the summers and that was good enough. In fact, he was _proud_ to be a seasoned traveler as a little kid. Gushing about his experience on airplanes made his classmates like him even more.

When he was young, Eddie's mother had always threatened to cancel his summer trips to his father in order to ensure he did all his homework. Secretly, Eddie was convinced that his mom loved him too much to actually do that. But he valued his summers with his father too much to take the risk and actually test that thought.

And somehow, excelling in school became a trend. Eddie made sure to make time for his friends and his sports and his bad boy act. But he made time for academics too. His mother had instilled in him the value of education, and that didn't just disappear. In fact, it grew stronger.

Eddie had always enjoyed writing. Knowing it was something his mother would approve of, he kept detailed records of his summer vacations with his father. He even kept a journal and a separate notebook filled with short stories fueled by his wild imagination.

So when it came to college, naturally, Eddie majored in English. He graduated and found himself a solid job working for a well respected and widely read newspaper. He didn't know what the next step was and he was bit of a lost soul, but he didn't think that was a problem. It just added to the mysterious charm of a writer, he was convinced he had.

* * *

"Your father is retired now, Patricia. He has been for months. Are you _sure _this is what you want? It's not too late to come home."

Patricia balanced the cellphone to her ear with her shoulder, her arms full of boxes. She internally groaned and pushed open the front door of her brand new apartment. There was no point in explaining to her mother that it _was _too late to come home. She wasn't about to drop out of law school to be with her misguided _parents _of all people. Especially not when she was so close to graduating.

"I'm sure that this is what I want," Patricia confirmed, setting down the heavy boxes and flexing her fingers with an enormous sigh of relief. "I'm in my final year of school. I'm more than old enough to live in my own apartment. I've technically lived away from you since I was 10, mum. Now is not the time to try and bring me back. Come on." Patricia smiled reassuringly with only a touch of bitterness before realizing her facial expression was entirely useless over the phone.

"I wish we had handled things better. We should have listened to you back then. Found a way to make things work and keep our family fully functioning," Elizabeth murmured. "Despite everything, I love you."

"I know," Patricia bit her lip and allowed herself to lean against the wall for a moment. She wasn't oblivious to her mother's remorseful tone and the sadness in her voice. It felt oddly satisfying to know that her mother was _finally _beginning to realize how distant her daughter was, both physically _and _mentally. "I love you too," Patricia mumbled reluctantly before disconnecting the call. She wasn't big on displaying affection for anyone, _especially _her parents.

Patricia was fully aware that her negative attitude was of her own making and that all of her choices had been strictly her own but the immature part of her blamed her parents for the way she was. Patricia tended to isolate herself from people, even know. She hadn't gotten the practice of making friends when she was younger, and now she was too nervous to make the effort. She shut people out and they let her do so.

It was the reason she was moving herself in without help. She _should _be with friends and family, but her social life was nonexistent and her parents and Piper were in London, living it up.

Patricia dispelled the loneliness and surveyed her new apartment with satisfaction. It was on the sixth floor and had two bedrooms, a small kitchen and dining area, plus a generous living space. For an apartment in New York City, she had done _very _well. Even though Patricia sort of resented her parents, her pride wasn't all that large. When her father offered to make the initial payments for the place, she had willingly agreed. She knew that his offer was motivated by guilt, but rejecting financial help would be foolish. Now that she was settled, she'd pay the rent herself.

She sighed one last time before rolling up her sleeves and tackling the nearest box. If she wanted her apartment to feel like a home, she had to unpack and get rid of all the boxes. This was the beginning of what she hoped would be a new life.

* * *

Eddie stepped into the lobby of the Hudson River Apartment Building, offering the doorman a polite smile. "Hi Mark. Busy evening around here?" He wasn't expecting much of an answer since the doorman was the quiet sort with rarely anything to report. But Eddie still made it a point to greet the elder man on his way in and out.

"Sir, it's funny you ask. A new tenant actually just moved in across the hall from you," Mark replied. Eddie's head snapped up in surprise. The apartment across from his had been empty for months, he hadn't realized someone had been interested in it.

It was probably an elderly couple, knowing his luck. Older people who went to bed early and complained about the younger generation as a form of fun. Older people who wouldn't appreciate a young man like Eddie who managed to burn half of what he cooked and liked to rock out to punk rock at enormously loud volumes.

"…It's a young woman," Mark was saying. "Very pretty if I do say so myself, Mr. Sweet," he winked at Eddie before offering him a knowing smile.

Eddie immediately felt his face flush. That was the first bit of playfulness he'd ever seen Mark express, and it was a little strange. "Mr. Sweet is my father," Eddie mumbled a correction before darting for the elevators. Well, that was sufficiently awkward.

He eyed his new neighbor's door warily, trying to decide whether he should introduce himself or not. He tried (and failed) to convince himself that the reason he was curious had _nothing _to do with Mark's comments about the new tenant's looks. Finally, Eddie raised his hand to knock on the door, stepping back in surprise when the door opened on it's own accord. A pile of empty boxes tumbled out and the girl who had been carrying them, scowled, muttering scattered insults under her breath.

Her hair was long and something between a cross of chocolate brown and fiery red. It was more reddish than brown, Eddie decided. Her eyes were mostly green, with a tint of blue. Eddie tilted his head, trying to figure out what to relate her eyes to. Emeralds maybe.

Noticing his presence, the girl jumped back with wide and disapproving eyes. Damn. He had been caught staring. Before Eddie could stop himself, he found himself stepping forward, right hand outstretched. "Hi. I'm Eddie Sweet."

The girl stared at him dubiously. She was giving him a look that clearly said: _are you kidding me? _Eddie self-consciously assessed his outfit, finding nothing wrong with his jeans and dark green button down. In fact, he thought girls were _supposed _to dig the whole rolled up sleeves, collared shirt look.

"Hi. I don't see why I should tell you my name," Patricia replied.

Eddie stared at her, mouth gaping open like a fish. "Well I...I'm your neighbor," he stammered. He shifted from foot to foot, oddly nervous. Obviously, he had approached this woman in the entirely wrong fashion. His facial expression brightened as he reached for his wallet from his back pocket. "I have identification! I didn't mean to come off as creepy, I swear I'm not a stalker."

"No, it's ok!" Patricia exclaimed, feeling her face turn red. "I'm Patricia Williamson, I just moved in. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." she trailed off helplessly, not knowing where she was going with this. All she knew was she was making a fool out of herself in front of her very young and very _cute _neighbor. This was supposed to be her fresh start and she had already begun to put walls up. She wasn't expecting to open up to the first person that came along, but at the very least she could be a little kinder.

"It's nice to meet you, Patricia," Eddie replied with a sincere grin. "Let me help you with those boxes. We can take them to the trash disposal room where it will be taken care of."

Patricia smiled gratefully and nodded. She was more than thrilled that this guy had rolled off their awkward start off his shoulders like it was no big deal. He seemed nice.

"So, Patricia. Tell me about yourself," Eddie hoisted some boxes in his arm and motioned for her to follow him. "Judging from your accent, I can tell you're not from here."

"I'm British," she admitted. "But I went to college in the states because I wanted to be away from England. I'm actually in law school right now, at NYU." Eddie rattled off a cheerful reply that Patricia didn't quite process. Wait...what? She had just told this guy more about herself than she usually offered to strangers. What about him had made her so free to talking? Lots of people had approached her before and she made it a point to give the bare minimum polite response. But here she was having an actual conversation with someone and it felt kind of nice...she was going to have to analyze this later.

"...And so that's why I consider myself a writer," Eddie was saying.

Oops. Patricia had missed everything he had said prior to the writer thing. "A writer, wow," she replied vaguely. There wasn't much she could comment on since she hadn't really been listening. "I'd love to see some of your work sometime if you don't mind sharing," she surprised herself by saying.

Eddie looked pleased. "Sure! We could get together sometime. You're new to New York so maybe I could show you around too," he said tentatively, offering her a shy smile.

Patricia nodded and twisted her key through the lock. "That sounds good," she slipped inside her apartment giving Eddie one last wave. She wasn't sure what about Eddie had made her actually talk, but there was something. She had to figure out what was going on and fast. She didn't _do _friendships, let alone relationships, and she _had _caught him staring. But she was so lonely, and it couldn't hurt to have a friendly face around...

Groaning, Patricia sank onto her couch and pressed a pillow to her face. She _had _to get her act together and keep her walls intact. Because she had a sinking feeling that Eddie was just the sort of person who could break her down.

Meanwhile Eddie still stood in the hall, staring at Patricia's door. She was interesting. She hadn't been too interested in his charm and that had intrigued him. But at the same time, she had been polite enough. There was something about her...

Eddie walked into his apartment and flopped onto his bed, wondering how soon he could take Patricia up on her offer and show her his writing. And get closer to her.

Because the new girl was interesting and he was hooked.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you all liked the first chapter! I'm incredibly excited about this. I'm familiar with writing Peddie drabbles for NADM but this is my first actual Peddie fic so we'll see how it goes. I would _love _to hear your thoughts on this. Reviews would be wonderful and are definitely motivational too. Please leave your comments!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hi again - I'm back with a second chapter and am completely blown away by the fantastic response to this! Thank you for all the followers/favorites/reviews. You all are wonderful and I am so thrilled to be writing for such appreciative readers :3

**Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

One week later and Patricia was finally satisfied with her apartment's appearance. Having never been tied to one home as a child, she was now determined to make the apartment her own.

The first thing she had done was file for official permission to paint the walls. As long as she painted them white when she moved out, she was welcome to paint the apartment whatever color she wanted. Patricia was surprised at how thrilled she was at hearing this. She spent the weekend dabbing at the walls with deep shades of plum and light hues of gold. Every single room had a different color scheme. It had taken her _hours _but she loved the bright colors. They made her feel less alone.

Nestling into the corner of her couch, Patricia reached for her laptop and checked her e-mail. She had college health forms and other papers due in a few weeks and she had to ensure that all that business was taken care of. Classes would be starting soon as well as her paid internship at a local firm. She couldn't _wait _to start that new job. Working at a coffee shop was good to make spending cash of her own, but if she wanted to become financially independent of her father, she was going to have to do better than a barista. Deleting all junk mail, Patricia shut her laptop and set it down on the coffee table and let her mind wander.

She wondered what Eddie was doing. "Fantastic," she muttered to herself. He was the _last _thing that should be on her mind. But she couldn't help it. He had been nice enough and was probably her best bet at making a friend. And Patricia reluctantly had to admit, she wouldn't mind a friend. It had been too long.

Staying away from people was harder than it looked. She wasn't exactly fantastic at being social but it wouldn't hurt to try, right? All she had to do was achieve the right balance. Have someone to smile at in the hallway and make small talk with in the elevator. "As long as I don't lose my control and spill my guts, it can't hurt," she mumbled to herself. "And now I'm talking out loud like a crazy person. _Wonderful."_

But if she was being honest with herself, Patricia _was _curious about Eddie. He had been surprisingly hard to catch a glimpse of. She had first met him on a Sunday evening, and now one week later, she had literally spotted him a grand total of three times. Surprisingly, she was disappointed at her lack of interaction with her easygoing neighbor.

The first time had been in the elevator. Clutching a phone to his ear, Eddie had offered an apologetic smile and focused on his conversation, only stopping for a quick second to mouth a quick and sincere hello. He had seemed entirely distracted and hardly spared Patricia a glance.

The second time, she had seen him several feet ahead of her, chatting animatedly with the doorman, Mark. She had opened her mouth to tell him to wait up but had chickened out at the last second, and let him walk through those doors and go off to wherever he was headed.

And the last time had been earlier this morning. When she was stepping out to pick up her newspaper, Eddie was just leaving his apartment at the same time. He had looked at the newspaper with a strange glint in his eye before looking up to say hello. "Good morning," he smiled at her a little tiredly, with his hair mussed and a coffee thermos gripped tightly in his left hand, some papers in the right. He was wearing glasses.

Patricia admittedly spent the next hour trying to keep her mind off Eddie's _very _attractive face. Some men looked cute in glasses, but Eddie looked more than just puppy dog adorable. He was _sexy._

Okay, it was decided. She wanted to see him again. Patricia unsuccessfully tried to convince herself that it was because she was starved of human company, and not because she was obsessed with how good looking he was.

Shaking her head, Patricia hoisted herself up from the couch and headed for the kitchen. Her stomach was growling and it was getting late. She rummaged through her newly organized pantry until she found a box of pasta and a can of soup. This would do for tonight.

Setting the food to cook on the stove, Patricia sank into a kitchen stair and sat cross-legged. She stared at the pots on the stove thoughtfully, as her mind once again wandered to Eddie. She kind of wanted to see him again and he _had _seen fairly eager to show her around. Would it be completely uncalled for to invite him over for a quick bite to eat? Was that considered weird? Inappropriate?

Scowling, Patricia continued to stare dejectedly at the stove. She wished she knew what the proper social conduct was. It would help to know what was considered appropriate, but naturally, she had no clue. That's what she got for keeping to herself. Complete social obliviousness.

Taking a deep breath, Patricia stood and exited her apartment. "Show time," she muttered to herself. She stood in front of Eddie's front door, attempting to summon the courage to knock.

It didn't come.

Patricia was more than determined to get back to her apartment and eat alone. This had been a stupid idea. She hadn't been thinking and she was seconds away from acting completely weird. She turned around to leave.

"...Patricia?"

Freezing at the sound of Eddie's voice, she stared up at him with a blank expression. Eddie stood in the middle of his doorway, clad in a pair of dress pants and a white collared shirt. From the looks of it, he had been in the process of undoing his tie, and his suit jacket was still draped over his arm.

"Oh um...hi. Fancy running into you here," Patricia finally managed.

Eddie looked at her, partly concerned, but mostly amused. "I heard something in the hall...but it turns out it must have been you pacing. Everything all right?" He eyed her carefully. "You look like you're on a mission of some kind."

"Oh...I do? That's because I am. On a mission I mean," Patricia clarified. She could feel her ears turning a dangerous shade of pink. Where had all her words gone? She was almost a _lawyer, _and here she was standing in front of her neighbor, completely speechless. She had planned this out too. "Let's eat together!" she exclaimed before mentally berating herself. _I sound totally insane, oh my god. _"If you want to, that is. I made some food and there's more than I thought there'd be and so I thought maybe I could share. You can take some back to your apartment though, I mean, you look busy, that's actually a really nice tie..." she babbled before trailing off in horror. _That's a nice tie? What am I saying? That has nothing to do with inviting him to dinner. Pull it together, Williamson. Better yet. Abandon ship. Back out now, before you say something even stupider. _"Let's forget this ever happened. I think I'm just going to go. Sorry for disturbing your evening..."

"Wait!" Eddie interrupted, reaching for her hand to reel her back to the door. He could have sworn he felt a spark, but he dropped her hand immediately. Something told him Patricia was only seconds away from breaking the contact herself. "You complemented my tacky tie. And you offered me food. What exactly are you apologizing for? You're _awesome. _If the offer still stands, I'd love to join you for dinner."

Patricia giggled and Eddie froze at the sound of her laugh. She sounded so happy and carefree, he loved it. He mentally made it his mission to hear more of that laugh. It sounded like Patricia had a fun side, buried underneath all the awkward. "That tie _is _a little tacky, now that you mention it," she teased lightly, crossing the small threshold between their apartments and holding the door open for him. Eddie grinned at her cheeky comment. Suspicions confirmed. Patricia _had _a personality, and by the looks of it, a pretty good one. He just had to work for it._  
_

Eddie followed her inside and gasped at the color of the walls. "Your living room is _green,_" he observed, sounding appalled. "And your kitchen is red?! God, this all looks so cool." He peered curiously at the hallway leading to the two bedrooms. "Can we see your bedroom?"

Patricia looked up at him, shock etched onto her face. Eddie stared back at her, uneasy, before he realized the implications of what he had just said. He buried his face in his hands and when he looked up, he seemed positively horrified. "I didn't mean it like that, I swear! I just...I like colors?" he offered lamely, sinking into one of the kitchen chairs. "Please excuse me and my idiocy. I totally didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"You're excused," Patricia said, coughing lightly to cover her laugh. Eddie grinned when he realized Patricia was fighting to keep a smile off her face. Good. She wasn't offended.

"You may laugh at my expense," Eddie bowed his head graciously and that's all the permission Patricia needed. She burst out into a fit of hysterical giggles.

"You should have seen your face," she said, setting the pasta and soup on the table once she had caught her breath. "It's nothing fancy," her face immediately clouded over once again. "I should have warned you, it's just a quick meal..."

"It looks great," Eddie assured. "And I haven't eaten for hours so I'd eat just about _anything _at this point."

"Really?" Patricia eyed his formal attire, a little bit of judgement flashing in her eyes. "It looks like you were at a place that offered food. Like a party or something."

Eddie shrugged, looking sheepish.

"Not exactly," he replied. "I had to run some important papers over to my boss and he was at a company event for our sponsors so I had to look the part just to get through the doors. Never mind the ten minutes I spent arguing with the bouncer," he explained. "No food for me."

Patricia nodded in understanding. "You should have snuck in some appetizers while you were there though. So do you cook at all?"

"Not _well," _Eddie confessed. "I sort of live on instant noodles and fast food. And I mean...we live in NYC so food isn't exactly hard to come by..."

"Plenty of food available, got it," Patricia finished dryly. "So what kind of cruel place do you work at where you have to run errands and not get paid in food for all your efforts?" The moments the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Was that insulting? Carefully gaging Eddie's reaction, she sighed with relief when she realized he was chuckling.

"_The New York Times," _he said with a hint of pride. He couldn't stop the rush of pleasure when he realized Patricia was gaping at him, looking rather impressed.

"So you really _are _a writer," she mused. "That's an incredible paper to work for," she praised.

"And NYU is an excellent school to attend, especially for law," Eddie shot back.

He was rewarded with the sweetest of smiles.

* * *

"_This is so good," _Eddie practically groaned through a mouthful of his food. Patricia was seriously fearing for his safety, the rate at which he was consuming his pasta was that alarming. She was fairly sure she remembered how to save a person from choking if needed. She was comforted by the thought.

"It's just pasta from a box. And soup from a can," Patricia admitted. "I haven't really had the time to shop for groceries yet, I only have some bare essentials that I threw into a cart a few days ago."

"You're talking to a guy who has successfully burned instant noodles," Eddie reminded her. "Honestly, this is _fantastic. _If you can actually cook meals from scratch, I can't wait for that."

Patricia felt her heart warm at the thought. Eddie has implied that they would be seeing each other again and she was both surprised and scared at how much the idea appealed to her. She thoughtfully chewed her pasta, pleasantly surprised by how easy conversation seemed to flow. She wondered if it was always this easy, or if it was just Eddie. Something told her it had to do with him, but she couldn't be sure.

"So how often do you write?" Patricia immediately regretted the question. He worked for a _newspaper, _obviously he wrote a lot. She was extremely surprised when he muttered a "not nearly enough" in her general direction.

"_The New York Times _is a big paper, and I by no means am a top writer," Eddie said. "I feel more like an intern than anything else. I mean thankfully, I'm not making coffee runs all morning, but I _am _an assistant of sorts. Scheduling interviews, verifying facts, overseeing interns, editing a thing here or there, _sometimes _I get a fluff piece..." Eddie trailed off mournfully before immediately brightening. "I do love my job though, don't get me wrong. It's an honor just to work there, and I'm climbing the ladder. In the mean time, I write for myself. I want to write a novel. It's my greatest dream."

"That's amazing," Patricia replied softly. She was amazed at how Eddie spoke his feelings with such ease. He had just shared his _dream _with her. She couldn't possibly return the favor. What was she supposed to say? _I want to lose my social awkwardness and make friends and find someone who will love me for me? _That wasn't exactly an option.

"I'm rambling," Eddie said. "So what about you? Dreamt of law school from the start?"

"No," Patricia's voice went wistful and Eddie studied her face perceptively, without interrupting. "I just...I think I'll be good at it."

She didn't want to admit that she was doing it to impress her parents and to have a solid excuse to stay away from home. It was way too complicated and far too personal. Eddie seemed to sense the shift in the air and cleared his throat, artfully changing the subject to something more general.

* * *

"Thanks again for dinner," Eddie beamed at her. "Best boxed pasta ever," he said with a wink.

Not for the first time that evening, Patricia felt her face begin to heat up. "You're welcome," she replied, letting him out of her apartment. "Good night."

"You too. See you around, neighbor," Eddie saluted her and entered his apartment, the door clicking shut behind him.

And then Patricia was left alone to her apartment and her thoughts. She sighed contentedly and a smile spread across her face. She had actually laughed tonight. Made a joke or two. When was the last time she had done that?

"Congratulations," she said aloud, a small smirk playing across her face. So this is what it was like to let people in. It felt good. As long as she didn't fall for this guy and let him completely in, she saw no harm in hanging out with him. It was nice. _Keep the balance, _she reminded herself.

Sliding under the covers, Patricia reached for iPod and shut her eyes, trying to envision how she could figure out a way to see Eddie again without seeming too needy.

She needed a plan.

* * *

Eddie changed into a pair of a comfortable shorts and t-shirt before throwing himself on top of the bed. He was twenty-four but he currently felt like a giddy teenager. He found himself analyzing the dinner, thinking about his conversation with Patricia. He liked spending time with her. She was kind of sweet. And she was certainly beautiful. There was something about her...

While all the stupid trashy magazines said that girls looked for confidence in a man, Eddie wasn't so sure if it worked the other way around too. Because he was kind of attached to Patricia's shy, vulnerable nature. It was somewhat adorable, if not entirely intriguing. He wondered if he would have been as interested if she was like any other girl.

Eddie reached for his worn notebook and pen, willing his imagination to put something of value onto the paper. He wanted to write a book, goddammit. It was his greatest dream and he knew he was good at writing. So why wasn't it working out? Why couldn't he get an idea? He wanted so desperately to write, but he was stuck in a rut without even having begun.

He sighed, entirely frustrated. Wasn't meeting a pretty girl supposed to be the type of occasion that changed a writer's life? He was supposed to feel all warm and fuzzy and inspired. He was supposed to spend the rest of the night writing a beautiful masterpiece that would earn him worldwide fame and acclaim. That's how it worked in the movies.

"But life isn't a movie," he mumbled under his breath as he tossed his pen and notebook aside, unsuccessful once again.

Tomorrow was another day.

* * *

**A/N: **And there's the second installment! Please review and let me know if you liked it or otherwise. Either way, reviews would be fantastic. The more feedback I get the faster I tend to write. I hope you all enjoyed this!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **You may have noticed that thus far, I have updated twice a week. I plan to write ahead and continue to do so, but I know I might fall behind. So look for updates on Wednesdays and Sundays, because that's the plan! I'll cut back to only Sundays if I get really overwhelmed.

As always, thanks for the wonderful reviews and encouragement! You all are simply the best.

******Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

"Two vanilla lattes, please," Nina requested, rummaging through her purse for the appropriate change.

"Sure," Patricia rang up her order.

Working at a coffee shop in an area of the city she wasn't yet familiar with was wonderful. So far, she hadn't run into any of her classmates. And she didn't think that would any time soon, considering the shop was significantly farther uptown than the NYU campus. She was free to avoid awkward conversations with her peers, since everyone she served was virtually a stranger.

It was easy to be friendly to people she didn't know, Patricia mused. There was no pressure or lurking judgement threatening her in the shadows. She was free to be herself. Which is exactly why she was wearing a dark purple skirt over patterned black tights. Paired with a simple white blouse, her outfit was complete and very much true to her identity. The best part was that no one was staring at her, giving her looks that said: _really? someone as quiet as you can dress that boldly? _

Around campus, Patricia toned down her outfits to avoid getting such looks. The logical part of her knew that people wouldn't stop and pay that much attention to analyze her, but she didn't want to risk it. That's why Ella's Coffee Shop was such a blessing. Patricia felt oddly liberated there. Smiling at the thought, she handed Nina her order before taking her fifteen break.

Sitting on a stool behind the counter, Patricia surveyed the shop. It wasn't too crowded for Monday afternoon. The lunch hour rush hadn't begun yet, as it was barely noon. Her gaze wandered towards the last girl she had served, deep in conversation with...Eddie.

Patricia nearly fell of her stool in shock. _What is he doing here?! _Her mind was all but screaming at her to make sense of the situation.

She blinked as if closing her eyes would change the fact that he was there. Had he been there the whole time? Had he _seen _her? Probably not, Patricia figured. He hadn't ordered for himself and his back was facing her. She fought back the frown that was threatening to settle on her face. Eddie was his own person and she had no claim on him. They were neighbors. They were hardly friends, she reasoned with herself.

So then why did she feel so agitated?_  
_

Scowling deeply, Patricia cast her apron aside and stalked to the kitchen where she could sulk in peace. She refused to label it as jealousy, although she had a sinking feeling that's exactly what it was. What could Eddie be talking about with that pretty girl? That _really _unfairly gorgeous creature?

* * *

"So how's the writing coming along?" Nina sipped her coffee and shot Eddie a knowing look.

"Your piece for the business section is looking good. I haven't finished editing it yet, but I doubt I'll find much. Your self proofreading is excellent as usual," Eddie said.

"Thanks, but that's not what I meant. I was asking about _your _writing."

Eddie tapped his fingers against his coffee cup absentmindedly and gave his friend a half smile. "It's not going well," he sighed. "I keep trashing all my ideas. You should me my wastebasket. I've just about _destroyed _my notebook, tearing sheets of paper out of it. I'm totally ruthless. I want to write for myself, I really do. It's just a lot harder than I thought it would be." He sighed in frustration. "College didn't freaking prepare me for this. What good is my degree in English when I feel so lost?"

She nodded sympathetically. "You just need to find a subject that speaks to you. A story you can bring to life. You need inspiration," she urged.

Nina was one of his colleagues at work but they had known each other for years. She had been dating Eddie's old college roommate since school itself, so he had seen a lot of her when he hung out with Fabian. Eventually, Eddie and Nina successfully forged a friendship themselves, and now, they considered each other dear friends. Working at the same newspaper was nice too. It was wonderful to have someone to make coffee runs with talk about writing. Especially someone with similar passions who understood.

"I thought I had found my inspiration," Eddie groaned.

"Really? What did you think it was?"

"There's this girl...she's my new neighbor. She's pretty quiet, but once you get her comfortable and talking, she's pretty great. Or has been so far. She's cute too. Very easy on the eyes. But it's not like that," Eddie protested, seeing Nina perk up with interest. "I'm not...we're not...nothing has happened. I don't know if it even will. I don't even know if I _want_ it to. But she's _very _interesting. She's got this mysterious aura about her. Seems kind of sad. Lonely, almost. And I just..."

"...could never resist a challenge," Nina finished with a disapproving glance. "I get the appeal, Eddie. I do. But just be careful. Whoever this girl is, she seems kind of delicate. Or at the very least, shy. Don't go leading her on or breaking her heart or anything," she warned.

Eddie stood and tossed his empty coffee cup in the garbage. "I won't," he promised. "I'm not trying to use her, I genuinely like her. I was just hoping she'd spark something inside me in terms of my writing too," Eddie bit his lip in disappointment. "But so far, nothing."

Nina followed him out of the coffee shop, nodding in understanding. "So tell me more about this cute neighbor! Sounds like you might have a crush on her."

"Not sure but _that, _but her name is Patricia Williamson and she has the most _hypnotizing _greenish eyes and..."

* * *

"God, Piper! What are you doing here?"

"Calm down, Trix. I thought you'd be happier to see me. This isn't the warm welcome I expected."

"That's because you surprised me! You're supposed to be in London!"

"But I'm not. I wanted to visit you before I move on to Seattle to finalize the dates of my piano tour. Now are you going to let me in or not?"

"Whatever."

Eddie listened to this little exchange in silence. He had just stepped off the elevator and was about to turn the corner to their hall when he heard the arguing. Whoever Piper was...she sounded a lot like Patricia. And speaking of Patricia. Eddie had never heard that much emotion in her voice. Granted, he hardly knew her and the fact that the emotion he heard was extremely annoyed was probably not a good thing, but still. Eddie was wildly curious. He took a deep breath and took a step forward.

Nothing could have prepared him for this.

There was a girl that looked _exactly _like his new neighbor. He was floored.

Which one was Patricia? The one in jeans? Or the one with the killer legging tight things? Hold up. The one with jeans was holding a suitcase so that must mean...Eddie inhaled deeply. Patricia had an intense sense of fashion. She looked _good. _He had never seen her look that good. Again, he hadn't seen her all that often, but still...

"Eddie! What are you doing here?"

He snapped out of his trance. "What do you mean? I _live _here, just like you do," he replied, immediately on the defensive. It had been a long day at work and he wasn't in the mood to play polite, dapper neighbor. He supposed he _could_ crack a joke though. Keeping his eyes trained on Patricia and Piper, he spoke once more. (In about ten seconds, he would realize that was the wrong move.) "Did you know there are two of you?"

"Did you know there is such a thing as identical twins?" Patricia snapped. She instantly wished she could take it back, even before Eddie flinched in surprise. Piper showing up without warning was stressing her out and she was still kind of worked up at over that girl in the coffee shop, even though she _knew _she had no right to be.

"Erm, hello," Piper interjected. "I'm Patricia's twin sister, Piper. It's lovely to meet you..."

"...Eddie," he supplied, shaking her hand. "Likewise. Although it appears I've interrupted something," he glanced at Patricia's face, a perfect picture of rage. "I'll see you around," he said stiffly, before escaping to his apartment, his door shutting a little louder than he usually allowed.

"Aww Trix! What is your problem? Why would you scare off such a nice boy? You were so mean!"

"_Just. Shut. Up._" Patricia growled, punctuating each word. "Get inside, I'll explain. I suppose we have a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

"If you really want me to leave, I will," Piper said with a hint of sadness. "I know you don't like surprises. I'm sorry, Patricia."

Patricia sighed but wrapped her sister in a warm hug. She wasn't initially thrilled, but now that it was done, it didn't matter. Piper was her sister and she loved her. "I shouldn't have been so mean. I was just having a bad day. I'm glad you're here. Really, I am."

"Glad to be here!" Piper returned the hug with a wide grin. "I really miss you, Trix!"

"Well, now we're together."

"Yes, but that's not what I meant. I miss _you. _Sarcastic, snarky, bold, _you_. You've been trying to hide your spunky personality for nearly fifteen years and I'm sick and tired of it. I bet you are too. Come back to us," Piper pleaded.

"You should have given me this lecture years ago," Patricia accused, her eyes welling up with hot tears. "I really needed to hear that. It's just that...when we were younger, we were always moving around. You loved it, but I wanted to be grounded in one place. And now I'm finally an adult and I've built a life for myself, but I still can't do it," Patricia broke off, sounding miserable. "This probably doesn't make any sense to you. It's complicated."

"I'm your twin sister. It will _always _make sense to me," Piper said solemnly. "I understand. I do. You just need to start trusting people, and letting them in. And maybe you should start with that neighbor of yours. From the way he was looking at you, I'd say he's definitely interested. Even if he doesn't know it yet."

"We look the same," Patricia countered. "How do you know he wasn't looking at you?" Secretly, her heart was soaring at the thought of a guy looking at her with interest. At the thought of _Eddie _looking at her with interest. It was flattering._  
_

"Let's just say he appreciated your legs," Piper said dryly, eyeing Patricia's tights with a small smirk. "Trust me when I say, he's attracted to you. Now. I'm only here for the night before I leave for my meeting tomorrow afternoon, so you're not allowed to sleep tonight. We have so much to talk about!"

Patricia giggled and scooted closer to Piper, all worries forgotten. She launched nto a detailed description of law school and focused on reconnecting with her dear sister, her other half. The only family who had ever fought for her.

Piper's pep talk had inspired Patricia to the point, where she felt lighthearted. It seemed like a new beginning could be within her grasp. She was almost completely content, except for the bit of lingering guilt over how she'd treated Eddie. She had been rude and it had been unacceptable.

She'd have to apologize at some point.

* * *

Patricia wondered when it would be Eddie's turn to stand outside _her_ door and feel awkward. Not for the first time, she stood in front of his apartment, mind and heart racing. It had been a whole two days since her encounter with Eddie in the hall, and she hadn't caught a sight of him since. She was hoping to catch him around and blurt out a quick apology, so it would be casual. But it looked like she was going to have to do this the hard way.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked and waited. The last time she was here, Eddie had happened to open the door before she could make her presence known. That wasn't likely to happen twice.

The door swung open, and Patricia was met with the sight of a curious, guarded Eddie.

"Hi," he greeted. "How are things?"

"Oh, um. Good, thanks. You?"

"Just fine. Is there something I can help you with?"

Patricia swallowed hard, hanging her head in shame."I came to apologize," she admitted. "I was really rude to you the other night. And I'm sorry about that."

Eddie exhaled. He hadn't been expecting a formal apology. He hadn't _forgotten _the incident per say, but he wasn't about it to hold it over her head. It wasn't that big a deal. Honestly, he was pleased to see Patricia taking the initiative to come talk to him and consider his feelings. It would be cruel to continue being indifferent and keep her in her misery. She was clearly making an effort.

He smiled warmly. "You're completely forgiven. It happens to the best of us," he said. Patricia smiled nervously and turned to leave, but before she could, Eddie stopped her. "Wait! I haven't eaten yet, and I think I owe you a dinner," he said.

"You don't owe me anything and you don't have to - "

"I'd like to," Eddie interrupted with a sincere grin. "Just don't expect a gourmet meal, Williamson."

"Of course not. You're not capable of providing one, Sweet."

Eddie threw his head back and laughed, opening his front door a little wider.

* * *

**A/N: **And there is chapter three...with a Nina appearance! Since this is AU she did not go to school with Patricia. Oh and I know things are moving slow, but that's just how Patricia is. She's scared and tentative but that's ok. Peddie will happen at some point, that's a promise. Please review :)


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thank you for all the sweet reviews! You all make me smile :)

**********Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Patricia stepped inside cautiously, looking around in fascination. She didn't know why she found Eddie's living space so interesting considering it was the classic bachelor pad. The color scheme was dark and subtle and the objects strewn about screamed "single male."

"Feel free to sit down. I just need a minute or two," Eddie ducked into the kitchen leaving a very tentative Patricia behind.

She moved a handful of magazines aside, surprised to see they were all intellectual. She carefully flipped through the pile once more, expecting to find _Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue _at the very least. She didn't. His good tastes in magazines was countered by a video game controller on the coffee table and a pile of games strewn about the floor, not to mention what appeared to be chinese takeout containers. And clothes. Everywhere.

Frankly, Patricia was relived. Eddie was a conventional male when it came to housekeeping. He was human and he wasn't perfect like Patricia had feared. That would have been too tough to live up to and far too intimidating.

Eddie exited the kitchen and groaned when he realized the state of his living room. "Sorry, it's so messy around here," he blushed. "I probably should have thought of that before I invited you in," he cringed as he swiped the garbage off the coffee table and made the embarrassing trip to the trashcan.

"I don't mind," Patricia assured. "I would have been a little worried if you were good at cleaning too."

"_Too?" _Eddie looked at her curiously, waiting for her to expand. Patricia's eyes widened in panic. She wasn't about to tell him she had a running list of his good qualities. Polite, kind, talented. (Well she wasn't actually sure how well he could write, but she had a sneaking suspicion he was incredible.) If he had been neat, that really would have been too much.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "Sounds like the food is ready, it smells really good."

Eddie beamed at the praise. "Chicken and broccoli," he said with pride. "I figured cooking wouldn't hurt. I looked up a recipe and everything."

"It actually tastes delicious," Patricia noted with surprise, as they sat at the table and began to eat.

At first Eddie had looked a little anxious, but he relaxed at hearing Patricia's comment. He sniffed delicately and gave her a pointed look, purposely being dramatic. "Were you expecting anything less?"

They both chuckled at that, eating in peaceful silence for the next couple of minutes. Eddie was pondering on if it was a good idea to ask Patricia about Piper. He was _really _curious and hadn't forgotten the fact that Patricia had a twin sister. Patricia, on the other hand, was wondering how awkward it would be to mention the fact that she had spotted him at Ella's Coffee. She kind of wanted him to know she had been there.

"I saw you at the coffee shop the other day," Patricia finally blurted out.

"Really?" Eddie looked surprised. "I didn't see you. Why didn't you say hello?"

"You were with someone. I didn't want to interrupt," Patricia murmured, fervently hoping for more information on the girl he was with. Thankfully, Eddie was straightforward and predictable. He supplied her with answers without a moment's hesitation.

"Nina," he recalled delightfully. "She's a colleague and friend of mine. She's actually getting married to my best friend next month," Eddie smiled fondly at the thought. "Nina and Fabian have been together since college. I'm going to be his best man."

"That's great!" Relief coursed through Patricia's veins. Eddie wasn't dating Nina like she had suspected. "I mean...how nice," she toned down her excitement. "By the way, I work at that coffee shop." The fact that she had served Nina coffee hadn't come up and for some strange reason, Patricia felt like she owed Eddie the truth. She didn't want him to think she had been a customer when that wasn't the case.

"You're serving coffee there instead of addressing possible lawsuits?" Eddie joked.

Patricia smile softly when she realized his voice was free of judgement. "It's a summer job. A little cash never hurt anyone. My real job starts in a few week, I'll be a paid intern for a firm. And by the way, Ella's Coffee has never been sued!"

Smirking, Eddie nodded. "But if it ever does, I'm sure you'll have it covered."

"I haven't even taken the Bar yet," Patricia countered.

"You'll pass." There was no doubt in Eddie's tone. Patricia didn't understand how he could be so sure. He barely knew her, yet he was so confident. Was he just being nice? "So...Piper..."

Patricia was pulled out of her thoughts and she found herself smiling softly at the mention of her sister. "Yeah...I have a twin. As you noticed. I'm sorry for being so snippy, again," she said.

"If you apologize so profusely for such a small incident, what are you going to do when we get into a real fight?" Eddie grinned and stood to clear the table.

"We're going to fight?"

"Friends fight."

"We're friends?"

"We are."

And just like that, it was settled.

* * *

Some more conversation and a cup of coffee later, Patricia rose. "I should be going."

"To across the hall?" Eddie checked his watch. "It's not even 8pm. Want to watch a movie or something?" He carefully assessed Patricia's mood. If she was uncomfortable, then it wasn't worth it. "Unless you had other plans," he said.

He was giving her a way out. Patricia recognized the meaning behind his words instantly. She could lie and get out of there, easily enough. She was beginning to get to know Eddie, and she knew he wouldn't stop her. But for what? It's not like she had something better to do. If she left, she'd only return to her apartment and waste time. Or analyze the growing fact that she sort of had a crush on her new "friend." Definitely, the second one.

"I don't have other plans," she admitted, suddenly eager to stay. Leaving had never been something she particularly wanted. For once, running away didn't feel right. "I'll watch a movie with you."

"Awesome," Eddie cheered. He knelt beside entertainment stand upon which the TV was resting. "I keep all my movies in here," he explained, rummaging through the cabinet. "Um...how about Iron Man? Super hero movies are cool," he wrinkled his nose as an afterthought. "Oh or is that only a guy thing? I don't _think _I own any girly movies, but sometimes my mom leaves stuff behind," he continued to dig through movies, his brows furrowed in concentration, as though distinguishing action movies from romantic comedies was the hardest task on earth.

Patricia surprised both of them when she reached out and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Eddie looked up questioningly, ignoring the warm tingly feeling that shot up his arm. "Iron Man is fine," she smiled faintly. "Robert Downey Jr. is hilarious and I like the character Tony Stark's wit."

Eddie grinned. "You've seen this before?" Patricia nodded her confirmation and his smile widened. "That's fantastic! We can talk through it and make comments since this isn't your first time seeing it," he said. "If it was, we'd have to watch in dead silence. Can't have you missing out on the awesomeness that is Iron Man."

"So you're 24, huh?" Patricia raised her eyebrows at the uninhibited enthusiasm practically radiating from Eddie.

"I own comic books too. Sue me," he challenged, popping the disc in and sitting down on the couch.

"Proud of your comic books?" Patricia sat down, careful to leave enough space between them to avoid awkwardness. She was close enough for it to be considered friendly distance, and far enough to ward off any possible advances.

"Very proud," Eddie confirmed, nestling into the couch, careful to maintain the distance Patricia had so carefully outlined.

* * *

"_I mean, doesn't it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?"_

Both Eddie and Patricia snickered, and Eddie carefully glanced at Patricia out of the corner of his eye. The movie had barely started and they were laughing at all the same parts. That was a connection, if he ever saw one.

Towards the end of the movie, Patricia had turned kind of quiet.

"That was great, wasn't it?" Eddie tilted his head in her direction and tried to gage if she was sleeping or not.

"I'm awake. No need to bend your head at that ridiculous angle," Patricia said dryly. "And yeah, it was really good."

"We can watch the sequel if you'd like?" Eddie sounded hopeful and Patricia smiled at the cuteness of it all.

"Why not?" She rolled her eyes skyward and Eddie beamed. He wasn't sure if he was smiling because Patricia had agreed to stay longer, or if because she was lowering her defenses a little. Sarcasm from a shy person was definite progress in his book.

"I think the sequel is in my room. I'm going to go get it," Eddie rose and offered Patricia a hand. "You can tag along if you'd like." Shrugging, Patricia padded behind him, entering his bedroom.

After a few moments of looking around, she zoned in on a picture on his nightstand. There was a picture of a younger, teenaged version, Eddie. He was grinning and his arm thrown around the shoulders of...Mr. Sweet? She gaped.

"You're Edison Sweet," she gasped.

Eddie stopped shuffling through his dresser and glanced at Patricia in confusion. "Um, yeah. You already knew that. I'm not famous or anything," he blinked rapidly. "Do you know _another _Edison Sweet? A famous one? What are the odds?"

"No I mean...you're Mr. Sweet's son!"

"Well, duh. Of course my dad's name is Sweet," Eddie was eyeing Patricia as though as she had lost her mind. "I feel like we're not on the same page here," he said slowly.

Patricia picked up the picture and frantically pointed to Eddie's father. "That's your dad!"

"_Yes, _but what's your..._oh," _Eddie breathed in understanding. "You know my dad? Oh my god, you went to my dad's school?"

Patricia nodded and Eddie laughed, somewhat shocked. "Oh, _wow. _What are the odds?" He grabbed the DVD and motioned for Patricia to follow him out. Once the DVD was inserted, Eddie muted the TV on the menu and turned to face Patricia.

"So you went to boarding school," he prompted. "At my _dad's _boarding school."

"I was there for all of middle school and high school," Patricia replied, playing with the bracelet on her wrist. "He was a great principal. Fairly well liked by the students. Kind of a clueless ditz sometimes but in a funny way. He did his job well."

"That sounds like dad," Eddie grinned.

"You didn't live with him though?"

"Hey, I was asking the questions," Eddie jokingly accused. "But, yeah. My parents have been separated for as long as I can remember," he said, waving off Patricia's attempts to apologize. "Honestly, it's okay. He loves me and I know that. We spent summers together throughout my school years and he came over for all the big holidays when he had off from that boarding school of yours. It wasn't ideal, but we made it work." Eddie smiled serenely at the wave of memories that came pouring over him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "So, uh. Why were you at boarding school? Parents send you away?"

Patricia winced a little. "It was my choice, actually," she said. "Boarding school was just...easier," she murmured.

Eddie was far less oblivious than the average young man. It was obvious Patricia didn't want to talk about the exact reason for her attendance at his dad's school. "Well, it's a crazy coincidence," Eddie commented. "Let's watch Iron Man 2 now," he hit play and they plunged into silence, laughing at the occasional joke.

He was seated much closer than before. He had deliberately sat closer to Patricia, cautiously waiting for her to comment or scoot away. She hadn't. Her shoulders had rose in what Eddie guessed was surprise, but to her credit, she hadn't moved.

Eddie was watching Patricia more than the movie, he was very well aware of that. He knew he had just declared them to be friends and all, but was it a crime that he noticed how pretty she was? His mind wandered to what Nina had said in the coffee shop. Don't lead her on. Well, he wasn't. This was more than just friendly neighborly behavior. He was _interested, _and it was time he accepted that. And even though he knew Patricia wasn't ready to do the same, he was _pretty _sure she kind of liked him too.

He suddenly froze. Crap. It must be so obvious that he was staring. Leaning a little closer, Eddie realized Patricia's eyelids were drooping in exhaustion, nearly shut. One look at his watch and he realized it was pretty late. Her head was leaning on the armrest and Eddie couldn't help but think that angle was awkward. That couldn't be comfortable. He'd make a _way _better pillow.

Oh no.

He _wanted _to be her pillow. He wanted to be closer. He wanted them to be _touching. _"Patricia?" he whispered, gently patting her shoulder.

"Mmph what?"

"The movie is almost over, but you're going to hurt your neck if you keep laying like that," he muttered softly. "I'm just going to move you a little. Is that all right?"

Patricia murmured something unintelligible, and Eddie took that as permission. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her the other way, so that her head was resting on his shoulder. He took a deep breath when she snuggled into his warmth.

"That feels nice," she mumbled into his shoulder.

Eddie slowly wound his arm around her shoulder again and held her steady, close to against his chest. "Good," he whispered back. It felt nice for him too. Reaching for the remote with his free hand, he reduced the volume and leaned his head back, sighing contentedly. He could stay like this forever, he marveled.

* * *

"Eddie!" Fabian burst through his front door, wedding magazines in hand. His jaw dropped at the sight before him. Eddie was snuggled up to a girl. She must be the new neighbor, Fabian belatedly realized. He winced. Eddie was going to kill him.

Patricia's eyes flew open at the loud noise, and she immediately raised her head. She flushed when she realized she had been leaning on Eddie. _I treated him like a pillow, oh no. _She felt mortified.

"Sorry," Fabian and Patricia chorused in union.

"Patricia, it's fine," Eddie soothed, pausing briefly to glare at Fabian. "I'll deal with you later," he scowled.

Fabian hung his head and quickly disappeared into the spare bedroom as to give Eddie and Patricia a few moments of privacy. Eddie was usually alone and Fabian had a spare key. He always barged in, and it was never a problem. _Figures _this time, Eddie would have a _girl _with him. Fabian sat down heavily on the bed and waited. Eddie would come in and yell at him soon enough.

"I fell asleep on you," Patricia muttered apologetically. "I'm really embarrassed."

"No, don't be," Eddie reassured, jumping up to rest a hand on her shoulder. "It's completely okay. You looked uncomfortable, I _asked _if I could move you. Completely my idea."

Patricia blushed harder, even though she was sort of comforted to know she hadn't just fallen asleep literally _on _him. "I don't really remember that," she mumbled.

Eddie sighed. "Excuse Fabian. He interrupted us. Just give me a minute to get rid of him."

"No!" Patricia adamantly shook her head. "It's late and I really _should _go. Thanks for everything," she called over her shoulder, fleeing Eddie's apartment without another word.

A very abrupt end to an otherwise pleasurable evening.

Patricia quickly made her way across the hall, shutting her door and then leaning on it. How had she gone from barely being able to speak to Eddie to practically sleeping on top of him? Okay, yeah, maybe she had a little bit of a crush on him. That didn't mean she was going to suddenly let him in and tell him her life story. He had to earn that trust. And he might never.

She moaned out loud in frustration and stomped off to her bedroom, perplexed and still vaguely embarrassed.

_What was happening?_

* * *

Fabian peered into the living room, making sure it was empty, before joining Eddie in the living room.

"I'm really sorry, buddy," he said sincerely. "_So _sorry. I wasn't expecting you to be with someone. I didn't mean to erm..ruin the moment and kill the date." Fabian sighed heavily and waited for his lecture.

"It wasn't a date," Eddie immediately responded, his voice devoid of anger. In fact, he sounded more thoughtful than anything else. Maybe a touch wistful. "And it's probably for the best that you showed up when you did. It would have been really awkward when she woke up either way."

Fabian nodded in understanding. Nina had told him about Patricia and how Eddie wasn't sure if he liked her.

"So. You like her?"

He wasn't casually asking. He was asking if Eddie had made up his mind. If Eddie knew what he wanted.

"Yeah," Eddie flopped back against the couch and closed his eyes, pressing a pillow to his face for a moment before letting it fall the ground. "Yeah, I really do."

* * *

**A/N: **And they both realize they like each other! Eddie a little more so than Patricia. It's slow progress but it's certainly something. I don't think this story will be all that long (10-15 chapters) so Eddie and Patricia will definitely be getting closer soon. OH and because this is AU, Fabian & Nina never attended the same school as Patricia. But Fabian can keep the cute accent. And Mr. Sweet can still teach where Patricia schooled as well. Just roll with it please :)

If you liked this chapter, please review and tell me so. Or if you disliked it/have questions/etc, tell me that too. Criticism and feedback are very welcome! See you all next time, which admittedly, might not be for a little while. I'm moving into my college dorm this weekend!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Needless to say, I think you guys are outstanding and phenomenal and all other fancy words of praise :)

**********Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Eddie lay awake for hours that night, staring at the bright ceiling. (He loved his glow in the dark stars with all his art. Psh...it wasn't childish at all.) He couldn't get Patricia out of his mind.

It had felt so good to hold someone like that. Contrary to popular belief, Eddie wasn't a player. He took relationships very seriously, which is probably why he had only been in a handful. Although vaguely fascinated with the idea of fooling around, Eddie had a strong set of moral values. No intentionally hurting girls or spontaneously hooking up for Eddie. That wasn't his style.

So naturally, he hadn't been physically close to a woman in quite a while. Which is why cuddling Patricia had felt so refreshing. She was warm and soft and Eddie had loved it. Screw his pride, he was a proud cuddle monster.

But their proximity tonight wasn't the only thing keeping him awake so late.

Patricia knew his _father. _How strange was that? Eddie wondered if his dad would remember her. Rolling over to the other side of the bed, Eddie raised his head to check the alarm clock on the dresser. 3:06 A.M. It was already past 8 in the morning in England, and his father would be awake and starting his day for sure. But Eddie didn't think he had the energy for that conversation tonight.

With a sleepy groan, Eddie made a mental note to call his father in the morning before pulling the comforter over his head and sinking into oblivion.

He dreamt of Patricia.

* * *

Eddie flipped through his file of short stories, pulling out all the ones inspired by his father. About half were pleasant tales based on the summers he spent in England as a child. But the rest were darker.

Because as much as Eddie tried to convince himself that everything was okay, it never had been. He was grateful he had access to his father. He cherished the fact that despite the distance, they were able to bond. But part of him resented his father and mother for separating.

It sounded girly, but Eddie placed a lot of faith in love. He always had. So even as a child, knowing his parents were so unhappy that they couldn't bear to live together, broke his heart. Being an optimistic sunny kind of person, Eddie tried to look at the bright side.

But he allowed himself to mourn in his writing. Stories, poems, random monologues...he poured the hurt of having an incomplete family in his writing. It was the only outlet in which he allowed himself to grieve.

His last piece of decent writing had dealt with his father and the distance between them. Since then, Eddie hadn't written anything he was particularly proud of. He hadn't gotten a bright idea for the novel he dreamt of writing yet. It was discouraging to think about.

Instead, Eddie threw himself into his job, and getting to know Patricia, and convincing himself that he didn't mind his parents were divorced. He _knew _he shouldn't be so torn up about it. He knew he was lucky. Divorce was relatively common, and not the biggest problem a family could have. But wasn't that in itself depressing?

Sighing heavily, Eddie closed his notebook with a dejected thump and reached for his cellphone. "Hi dad, it's been a while."

"_Eddie! It's good to hear from you, son. I was going to call you later this week. How have you been?"_

"I'm good, dad," Eddie beamed. "Unfortunately, I'm calling with a purpose."

"_The woes of being a parent with a grown child! He only wants you when he needs something."_

"Sorry," Eddie apologized, smiling faintly at his father's earnest chuckle. After a little prompting, Eddie cleared his throat. "I was calling because I was just wondering...do you happen to remember a Patricia Williamson?"

_"Remember? I don't think I could ever forget! Patricia Williamson was quite a handful. She was a good girl though. Never doubted that for a second! Why do you ask?"_

"She's my new neighbor," Eddie replied honestly. "And we realized that you were her student. Um...dad. Would you mind telling me everything you know about her?"

"_I'm assuming she grew up to be quite the attractive you woman then, ha! But sure, Eddie. Anything for you. Patricia was a challenge from the start. She never wanted to mingle with the other students, she was a complete loner. But not in a depressed, angry, sort of way. In a quiet, determined kind of way. But being alone didn't stop her from having her fun! She regularly challenged me in class, defied her other teachers for her own amusement, even pulled pranks here and there. I think the closest she got to having true friends was spending time with these boys, Jerome Clarke and Alfie Lewis. They often joined forces and created all kinds of chaos! I also remember she was never fond of going home. I'm not sure what her relationship with her parents were, but I am aware that her father served for the military. It was probably why she was there, best not to drag your child around. That's all I remember. Good enough?_

"You're brilliant," Eddie praised in awe. It never failed to impress him how clearly his father remembered each and every one of his students. "Thanks so much, dad. This explains a lot."

_"Let me know how it goes. Good luck, son. Send me pictures! A student of mine recently taught me how to upload pictures from a cellphone to a computer. Technology is amazing, isn't it?"_

Eddie burst out laughing. His dad was hopeless. "Yeah, technology is incredible," Eddie agreed. "Talk to you soon."

_"Bye, Eddie. Take care."_

Eddie stared at his phone, deep in thought. It suddenly occurred to him that Patricia didn't have his phone number. Well. That simply wouldn't do. Grinning devilishly, Eddie grabbed a pad of sticky notes from the kitchen counter and shoved a pen behind his ear before darting out of his apartment.

* * *

Patricia trudged up six flights of stairs, muttering under her breath the entire time. Stupid elevator and it's stupid problems. She was exhausted after a long and busy day of serving coffee. How dare it not work?

She finally reached her floor, and dragged her feet to her front door, squinting at a bright blue sticky note, hanging on her door. There was a phone number and a smiley face, nothing else. No note. No name. Nothing.

Not that she needed any of that. Patricia knew _exactly _who it was. Smiling faintly for the first time all day, she peeled the note off her door and entered her apartment, plopping onto a chair. "Silly Eddie," she murmured, dialing the number.

"Eddie!" Patricia scolded into the phone. "You shouldn't just leave notes on my door like that. Especially not when it has such personal information!"

"No hablo ingles!" Eddie spoke into the phone, deepening his voice and using his best Spanish accent.

Patricia nearly dropped the phone in shock. "Ohmigod, I'm so sorry! I thought this was someone else. I'll hang up, I didn't - "

"Wait, no!" Eddie switched into his normal voice. "You were right. It's me."

"Ohh," Patricia sighed in relief before immediately frowning. "That wasn't funny."

"It was hilarious," Eddie countered. "So how can I help you, neighbor?"

"Why did you give me your phone number?"

"You should have it incase of an emergency or something," Eddie immediately said, frowning slightly at the silence on the other end. It was as though he could sense Patricia's disappointment over the phone line itself. "And because we're friends! I wanted you to have my number, and better yet, now I have yours! Mwahah gotcha."

Lounging comfortably in her armchair, Patricia allowed herself to giggle a little bit. "All a part of your evil plan, huh?"

"You know it."

Patricia was about to reply when she heard a resounding knock. She rose to open the door and grinned openly at the sight. Eddie was standing on her doorstep, cellphone still cradled to his ear.

"I thought we'd continue this conversation in person," he drawled.

And what could she possibly say to that?

* * *

"Central Park is fantastic," Eddie enthused, walking side by side with Patricia. He desperately wished they were holding hands, but somehow he didn't think she would appreciate the gesture. And plus, they were holding coffee cups.

"I prefer Washington Square Park."

"Ah. The heart of the NYU campus. You're entirely biased," Eddie pointed out with a cheeky grin.

"You may have a point," Patricia murmured. "But in the winter I think Bryant Park is the best for ice-skating. It's sort of secluded and the atmosphere has good vibes."

"It's a public park, it's not secluded," Eddie countered with a little snort. "And anyways, Rockefeller Center is way better for ice-skating! The ring is bigger and more people can you see skate. There's an _awesome _holiday feel to it."

"Are we going to disagree on everything?" Patricia huffed, reaching for a water bottle from her handbag.

"Nope. Because if we did you'd always win. Considering how you're the lawyer to be and all," Eddie said, leading them to a park bench.

They sat and watched people pass them by. It had been come a weekend ritual of sorts. Joggers blasting music, couples with eyes for only each other, little children racing for the playground set, and dog owners rushing to keep up with their enthusiastic pets. It was a sweet change of pace, to be sitting peacefully in the midst of a bustling city. Central Park offered a bit of calm that the busy streets could never. It also gave Eddie some courage for what he was about to pull next.

"So I called my dad this morning," he said, trying to sound casual. "He remembered you very well."

Patricia nearly choked on her coffee. "You asked your dad about me?!" She sounded upset. Eddie knew he shouldn't lie, but the way she put herself on the defensive made him anxious. He fudged the truth.

"I called my dad because it had been a few days and told him that I had a new neighbor," Eddie said. "When I mentioned your name, he immediately recognized you, and we talked about it for a few minutes." He didn't bother to say that he had _pressed _for information about her and that had indeed been the sole purpose of the phone call. Judging from her previous reaction, Eddie knew she would get mad if he told her so.

"Sorry," Patricia ducked her head in an immediate apology. "It's just...I was a very different person back then."

"Mm. Were you?" Eddie looked at Patricia with an unwavering, focused gaze. "I think you're _still _that person. But for whatever reason you're just trying to hide it."

Patricia mulled that over. "I _should _get angry and say that it's none of your business and throw a fit."

"I actually don't think that's the proper reaction," Eddie grinned. "But it doesn't matter since you seem to be actually thinking about it. Pranks, jokes, coasting through school. You would have been my kind of girl had we met in high school."

"And now?" Patricia's hands flew to her mouth in shock. She couldn't _believe _she had just said that. Frantically searching for something to say, Patricia was cut off before she even started.

"You still are," Eddie said softly. Patricia looked painfully embarrassed so he took pity on her. "But enough of that conversation," he said, even though liking Patricia is _all _he wanted to talk about. He wanted to scream about it to the world. "Let's go back to my place and I can finally show you some of my writing."

Patricia nodded vigorously and all other conversations were dropped as they quietly made their way back to the apartment building.

Eddie had come dangerously close to admitting his feelings to her...but clearly, Patricia wasn't ready. _Or maybe she doesn't feel the same_, Eddie's thoughts were running wild and he felt his stomach twist in disappointment.

Only time would tell.

* * *

**A/N: **Psst. Did any NADM readers catch the chapter 51 reference about watching people in the park? Let me know if you noticed my lame joke!

But anyways - I guess this was sort of a filler chapter since I cut it about two or three scenes short. Eddie was going to show Patricia his writing and it was going to get emotional and they were going to have a pivotal moment in their "relationship" but I wanted to get the chapter out on time so that didn't happen. At least you know what's coming next week?! It's sort of a preview. Or a spoiler. Depends on if you look at the glass half empty or half full.

Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think! Especially since this time, the chapter wasn't nearly as long as I had intended it to be.


	6. Chapter 6

**********Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Generally speaking, Eddie was a confident person, so he wasn't sure why he was beginning to doubt himself. Although Patricia wasn't easy to read, Eddie was still fairly sure that she was interested in him. She _giggled _at all of his jokes, incredibly lame ones included. Not wanting to let self created doubt consume him, Eddie pushed his negative thoughts aside and took a deep breath.

"Everything alright?" Patricia asked with concern. Ever since their awkward moment in the park, something had been a little off and she hadn't missed the shift in mood.

Fumbling with his house key, Eddie shook his head and opened the door with a small grunt. "Sometimes it gets jammed is all," he lied. Pretending that the key was the source of his stress was much easier than letting Patricia know he deeply she affected him. There was no denying that he liked her, but if she wanted a friend, that's what he would be. He wouldn't push for more. He'd do the right thing.

"I'm sorry about before," Patricia offered. Eddie winced. Evidently, she hadn't fallen for his "everything is fine" act. Of course, she would be perceptive. _Of course. _"It was inappropriate and not neighborly and - "

"No!" Eddie interrupted with a small smile. Never mind, Patricia _wasn't _particularly perceptive. She thought that he was offended because of her flirty question in the park, not realizing that it was her panicked _reaction _that had irked him. "We're more than neighbors, we're friends," Eddie reminded. "It wasn't inappropriate, it was a good question. One that I answered honestly, by the way."

"_Really?" _Patricia was looking at Eddie as if he had sprouted three heads out of nowhere. His smiled widened at her shocked tone. Her insecurities were actually kind of cute. "You think I'm your kind of girl?"

"Definitely," he replied with confidence. Casually handing Patricia a soda, Eddie leaned against his couch and waited. She didn't say anything. "Is it _okay _that I think we'd be good for each other...?" he finally asked.

"Yes!" Patricia replied without hesitation. And then she blinked and it was as if everything changed. Eddie could practically see her putting up walls. "I mean...I'm fine with it. You think we're compatible, whatever. No big deal, I - "

"...should really work on telling the truth instead of distancing yourself when someone tries to get close," Eddie advised gently, cutting off her sentence. His tone didn't hold judgement. Patricia's eyes grew wide, her mouth slightly parted. Taking pity on her, Eddie spoke up once more. "Because if you don't realize that we're meant to be _together forever_, how will we get our fairy tale ending?" He batted his eyelashes at her and smirked devilishly causing Patricia burst into a fit of giggles.

"Don't do that again, it was really creepy," she gasped between laughter. Sobering, she presently frowned. "But I guess you do have a point. I do tend to...run," she admitted hesitantly.

"Well we'll work on it," Eddie promised. "But for now we might as well accept it: I like you, and hopefully you feel the same. I think you do. But since that is scary and triggers a deer in the headlights reaction from you, we'll push that to the side for now, and I'll show you my writing instead." Straightening his posture, Eddie disappeared into the narrow hall leading to his bedroom. "Give me a moment. I'll grab some of my notebooks and be right back."

Patricia settled onto his sofa, lost in thought. Eddie had admitted he had feelings with her _so _easily, it was incredible. She was jealous of how sure he could be. If he was confident enough to tell _her,_ he must have admitted it to himself long ago. Patricia smiled at that thought. That would mean Eddie had liked her from the very start, since they had only known each other a couple weeks.

While Patricia too had liked Eddie for nearly as long, she hadn't been brave like him. She had ignored her feelings for a few days before _reluctantly _admitting that she had feelings for her neighbor. But now...somehow knowing that Eddie was interested in her too...it made her feel more sure of herself. If Eddie could admit that he liked her, Patricia could do the same. She owed him that much.

She would tell him how she felt and she would tell him today itself, after he showed her his writing. It was time to make a move.

Eddie returned a moment later, worn notebook in hand. "I haven't been able to write for myself recently," he said, disappointment laced in his voice. "But this is some of my older stuff. It's a little personal and slightly girly but..."

"Let me decide what it is," Patricia interrupted, rolling her eyes.

Eddie raised an eyebrow at her pushy tone. The inner fierce attitude within Patricia was finally making an appearance and he found it to be intriguing. Wordlessly, he surrendered the notebook before immediately beginning to pace.

"You're really going to walk around in circles while I skim through your writing?" Patricia stared at him doubtfully. "I'm a law student, not an big shot editor. I am not in the position to judge you, so you can take it easy," she assured him.

"It's hard to actually _see _someone read your work," Eddie explained. "It makes me anxious. So, um. I'll over there." He ducked into the kitchen and Patricia didn't go after him. His logic made sense and she respected that. Turning her attention to the notebook, Patricia flipped to the first page.

_Growing Darkness:_

_Warm memories of a cheerful childhood grow colder with every passing day. In the growing darkness, he clings to them._

_Soon he won't remember the perfect time in which he was whole. In which family was the center of his universe._

_ From a group of three...it dwindles down to two...then one...then nothingness._

_ Cheap gauze holds them together, but it is not enough to make them stick. Something sacred has been destroyed._

_So the crimson drips, blinding his vision and consuming his thoughts. The strong smell attacks the monsters within him. In the growing darkness, he is lost._

_Because pride has gotten in the way of optimism and he is now hopelessly blind to the truth._

_He lives for romance, for fire, for a future. And yet, in the growing darkness, he is already dead._

Patricia's heart broke a little more with each new word. Eddie was _distraught _about his family, even though he had acted as though it was no big deal. Striving hard to be mature and recognizing of the other bad things in the world, Eddie didn't properly acknowledge his own problems. Patricia still remembered the casual way in which he had discussed Mr. Sweet in England and the summer trips. He had made it seem like one big adventure in his effort to be strong.

Admittedly, there were far worse things in the world than divorce and being estranged from a parent. But _still, _there wasn't a competition of who had things worse. Patricia brushed a stray tear away from her eye and continued to the skim through the book. Eddie's pain was as real as anyone else's and his only outlet to release the hurt was this journal. In trying to balance his issues in relation to "bigger" problems across the world, he was really hurting. No matter how happy he seemed, this unresolved conflict was weighing him down. He needed to talk about it.

Several of the other poems and short stories reflected similar feelings of pain and abandonment. Eddie wasn't that different from Patricia, something she was rapidly beginning to realize. Just as the knowledge that Eddie cared for her had made her feel more confident, the news that Eddie know deep feelings reached Patricia's soul. Sighing deeply, she set the notebook down and cleared her throat.

"I looked through it," she said. Eddie set down the kitchen magnet he had been fiddling with and re-entered the living room, standing in front of her, eyes downcast and aimed at the floor. "It was incredible," Patricia tried again.

"It was nice of you to flip through the pages and compliment me," Eddie muttered. His writing was one of the few things he was defensive and sensitive about and sometimes, he got irrational. "Pretending you like my work is polite and sort of sweet in a weird kind of way, but it's not honest or the right thing to do."

"Well then it's a good thing I wasn't pretending," Patricia retorted.

Eddie gave her a vague smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Where is all this spunk coming from?" he wondered, genuinely curious instead of teasing.

"It's always been there inside of me. _You _are the one that recognized that if I'm not mistaken," Patricia pointed out. "But if you really want an answer...you gave me some confidence today so that's where it's coming from," she said honestly. "I'm breaking out of my shell. That's what you wanted right?" Vulnerable and open, Patricia was laying out the hard facts. Eddie could hear the doubt creep into her tone and he jumped in. He didn't want her to lose the progress she had so painstakingly made._  
_

"It definitely is, don't get me wrong. It's nice to see your colorful character."

"Thanks, but right now, we're focusing on YOU_. Your_ character and _your _writing. Which honestly are both very good," Patricia insisted. "I did more than skim your notebook, I read a bunch of your poems. The one about growing darkness was very powerful. I don't know if your writing is good enough to be published since I'm ignorant when it comes to things like that...but I bet it is. Your feelings were _tangible,_ Eddie. That's powerful stuff. I don't think you should be putting yourself down and casting aside your problems. You matter just as much as the next person."

"Patricia Williamson is just full of surprises," Eddie muttered upon Patricia's motivational speech. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Eddie?" Patricia asked lowly, a little unsure of what he meant. Eddie didn't meet Patricia's worried gaze and kept his eyes trained on the floor, practically burning a hole through the ground with his focused look. He looked both terrified and mortified, and the unusual combination contorted his usual smiling face into a twisted frown full of anguish. Patricia just wanted to make him feel better. "You know you're not any less for feeling the way you do, right? I mean...I feel broken up about my family because of all the moving we did. I don't feel close to them like I should. It's not horrifying, but in it's own special way, it's pretty sad. The same goes for you and your parents divorce and the feelings that come with it...I hope you realize that."

Patricia had never before witnessed such potent relief. Hearing her words, Eddie relaxed and let out a deep breath that neither of them realized he had been holding. He sagged forward and hid his face behind his hands. Never in her life had Patricia wanted to hug someone so badly before.

"Oh my god," Eddie mumbled, his chest heaving. "This is..."

"Exactly what you need," Patricia said firmly, giving in to her urges to hug him. She leaned forward and awkwardly wrapped her arms around Eddie, tugging him closer and hoping for the best. As if she knew how to hug someone in a comforting manner, psh. She was winging it but she had a feeling it would help.

Eddie responded by burying his face into her shoulder and holding on tight. He was shuddering. Patricia wasn't sure if it was years of bottled up emotional release or the sheer embarrassment of melting down.

"It's okay," Patricia whispered, her tone soft and soothing. She stretched her arm a little lower and rubbed his back in small circles before settling her hand on his head and stroking it lightly.

"Not really," Eddie said, voice hoarse. "I didn't want to admit how lonely I felt so I never told anyone. I didn't want sympathy or pity, I just wanted my parents to be together and to be happy...and I couldn't have that. So I turned to the notebooks. This is the first time I've ever shared them. I know it sounds stupid and I know over the years the issue has grown bigger in my mind so it's really not - "

"Don't rationalize," Patricia objected. "You're very modest and humble to recognize that your family situation isn't life threatening and that there are worse problems in the world. But you should still allow yourself to feel. You're brave, Eddie. Thank you for showing me your work. I didn't realize you hadn't shown it to anyone else so that means a lot." Her words were since. She felt touched.

Eddie didn't answer, nestling closer into Patricia's neck and smiling faintly. Upset or not, Eddie would always love cuddling. Somehow, being close to Patricia and in her arms made him a feel just a little bit better.

"Man, I am good at this comforting thing. I knew I should have opted for psychology instead of law," Patricia mused, her arms still looped around Eddie's torso. "I would become rich giving out hugs."

Eddie wanted to laugh. Sarcastic Patricia was a _hilarious _and he very much liked this new side of her. But he needed this release. He needed to address his feelings since had ignored all the pain for so long.

So instead he clutched Patricia tighter and cried.

* * *

Patricia was ecstatic. She felt as though she was floating on a cloud. Seeing Eddie so vulnerable had really changed the dynamic of their friendship. It was different somehow. _Deeper._

That afternoon was certainly something to remember. She had slowly begun to open up to Eddie and unravel the hidden layers that made up her complex character. There was something about him that made her want to trust and place faith in permanency. And Eddie...he had opened up to her too, not that he was nearly as guarded as Patricia. Still, seeing him as lost as she was, made Patricia feel like the playing field was even.

Seeing Eddie cry had ultimately humbled her. He had told her something that he had never told anyone else before and that made her feel so incredibly special, her confidence had shot up exponentially.

When he had calmed down, Eddie had seemed hugely embarrassed. Lifting his flushed cheek from Patricia's shoulder, Eddie had smiled shakily with bloodshot eyes, apologizing profusely for breaking down. Patricia could see how ashamed he was at being caught in such a state. So, she had brushed it off and left for work, leaving Eddie alone to his thoughts.

Absently, Patricia pushed her hair out of her face and looked longingly in the direction of Eddie's apartment. As much as she'd love to swing by, the ball wasn't in her court. She would wait for his move.

* * *

"I'm doomed," Eddie moaned into his cup of coffee and rested his head on the table.

"Well, I'm confused," Fabian remarked in response. "Why are we at Starbucks instead of Ella's Coffee? You made me walk an extra five blocks for _Starbucks? _That's really not quality coffee, you know. Not to mention it's overpriced."

"We can't risk running into Patricia," Eddie hissed. "I screwed up so badly. You don't understand. I feel so _humiliated."_

"It can't be that bad," Fabian reasoned. "I'm not sure what you're upset about. So you cried a little bit. Everyone does. It's human. What's the big deal?"

Eddie glared at Fabian from across the coffee table. "She is supposed to break down and cry in _my _arms, not the other way around. The girl is supposed to be the weak one!"

"Well, that's just sexist," Fabian said diplomatically, grinning at the aggravated expression on Eddie's face. "And besides. I already told you. Crying doesn't make you weak or any less of a person."

"I guess. She_ is_ beginning to open up a little so that's something. She's snippy and sarcastic and I guess some might find it annoying, but I just think it's kind of hot."

"There you go," Fabian encouraged. "Your little breakdown inspired progress! Sounds like it was worth it."

"It wasn't a breakdown!"

"It was," Fabian argued, waving his hand dismissively. "But that's besides the point. She likes you, Eddie. This is coming from the most unsure guy on the planet. Even _I _can tell that she's interested so you _know _it's pretty obvious. Just go for it. Everything will work out."

Ignoring Fabian's encouragements, Eddie dropped his head onto the table and groaned again.

"I'm so screwed."

* * *

**A/N: **A couple of quick notes! So about Eddie's poem. I don't really write poetry. I don't even _read _poetry, so for those of you that are serious poets, I apologize if _Growing Darkness _wasn't particularly impressive. Let's just pretend it was beautiful and emotional enough to convey Eddie's pain and therefore touch Patricia's heart. The whole point of the poem was to show that even though Eddie is usually happy go lucky, there is a small part of him that yearns for a complete, fully functioning family. Through his writing, he releases his hidden pain and deep thoughts about lasting love and all that. Since he's such a believer, it kills him that his parents didn't make it as a couple. I hope that makes sense.

And the other thing I wanted to discuss was Eddie's reaction about sharing his deepest work. Some people may believe that as a grown man, it is unlikely that Eddie would get so upset and sort of break down, but I think it's definitely possible. If he's never shared his feelings or hurt with anyone else and it's just been building up in the back of his mind, I think he was overdue for a good cry. So please don't think any less of him just because he had an emotional moment?

Everyone is open to having their own opinion, of course, so please let me know what you think. And as always, thanks for the inspiring reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **I normally try to update on Wednesdays or Sundays or _both _but this chapter was ready to go last night and I forgot to post it, so here it is! This story has now reached and crossed 100 reviews and oh my god - I don't think there are enough words to express my gratitude. Since it's only been six chapters so far, I am beyond shocked as well as completely thrilled. I am _so _pleased to see that so many people are liking this so far. Thank you for all the alerts and favorites and especially for all the comments. I especially love when people review more than once and some of you even review _every_ chapter which I absolutely notice! It makes me extremely happy, so again - thank you so much! You guys are crazy wonderful.**************  
**

**************Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Eddie cast a wary glance at Patricia's front door before entering his apartment and heading straight for his bedroom, promptly collapsing on top of his bed. He let out a frustrated groan. It had been a whole day since his little "episode" and he hadn't contacted her since. No phone calls, no texts, and no neighborly visits either. In fact, this morning, he had left the building earlier than usual in an effort to avoid her. He was really appreciative of everything Patricia had done for him, but he was still kind of embarrassed about the whole thing. He was no longer ashamed though; not after Fabian's effective pep talk. Just embarrassed.

Sighing absently, Eddie halfheartedly lifted his head an inch and blindly reached for his cell phone. He checked it almost eagerly, staring dejectedly at the screen after just a quick glance. No new messages. He hadn't been expecting Patricia to text or call when he so clearly needed space, but still. He had kind of been hoping that she would surprise him.

But it was his move, Eddie was well aware. Ironically, it wouldn't have been, since he was the first one to admit his feelings. But then he had showed Patricia his work and he had lost control and suddenly, everything had changed. Eddie huffed in irritation. He had ruined _everything. _Had he just kept his stupid tears in check, everything would have been fine, and instead, _he _would be waiting for Patricia to tell him how _she _felt. But of course, that no longer applied. By a strange turn of events, it was his turn now._  
_

"I should call her," Eddie pondered aloud. He stared at his phone as if it would somehow inspire him on what he should talk about.

Nothing.

"I should wait until I know what I'm doing," he decided, carelessly tossing his phone aside.

Obviously, trying to take his mind off Patricia would be a futile effort. And if he couldn't avoid thinking about her, he might as well as put his racing mind to use. Reluctantly sitting up, Eddie yanked open the bottom drawer of his nightstand and pulled out his current journal. He needed to write. Not wanted to. _Needed _to. The key to his inspiration lay with Patricia. That much was now clear. He was sure of it.

Eddie penned a few lines before viciously ripping it out of his notebook and tossing it in the wastebasket. Eddie hadn't played basketball in years, but he was pretty sure he'd still be good with the amount of crumpling and throwing he did with just paper. He glowered at his notebook. Why couldn't he write? He had met someone complicated, multifaceted, and positively _fascinating. _Beautiful, too. He wanted to be like those famous musicians whose inspiration came from the love of their lives.

He really believed that Patricia might be that person.

But if that was true...why was he still stuck in a rut?

* * *

Patricia stretched her neck to the side, successfully balancing her phone. It was a law of life: whenever her mother called, Patricia was _always _carrying something. Her fingers ached from holding so many grocery bags in each hand, but still, she walked slowly in order to avoid everything dropping and spilling. She had to walk down a long hall and then one more corridor before she'd reach her home. Naturally.

"Mom, I can't just drop my life and leave," Patricia said impatiently. She had been patient the first three times. By now, it was getting old. "Try to understand."

"_Baby, we haven't seen you all summer. And your father's birthday is next week. Please visit us for a week or so."_

"Classes would have started by then," Patricia pointed out. "And besides, I have a job! I can't just leave."

_"You're such a bright girl, I'm sure you could afford to miss a few days of classes. And you don't have a job! Not a real one. That silly coffee shop thing?"_

"It's a real job," Patricia argued through gritted teeth. "People do it for a living, I happen to just be doing it for spare cash. But that doesn't make it any less real, so don't insult it. And besides, the job I'm talking about is that paid internship I was rewarded through NYU. It's a big deal, mom!"

_"Well maybe you should focus on family instead and for once - "_

"Excuse me?" Patricia demanded. "You're telling me to focus on family? Of all the people in the world, YOU are telling me rearrange my priorities and put you first? I get that you miss me, but what I'm doing in New York is important. What is so hard to understand?"

_"Young lady, don't talk to me like that! I'm your mother and I can tell you whatever I want. You haven't been making an effort and - "_

"You've never made the effort your entire life!" Patricia was surprised to hear herself screaming into the phone. Her throat closed up and her eyes begin to water as she fought to muffle a sob. She wasn't sure why she was getting emotional but it was a difficult topic and it had been a long day and she was just _really _frustrated. "I have to go," she ended the call before breaking into soft, but heavy tears. The bags slid to the floor and a few tomatoes rolled out.

Patricia let out a frustrated cry, sagging against the wall as her vegetables lolled about. Any moment now, someone would come out to see what the commotion was about. That was the last thing she needed.

"Patricia? I heard screaming and a thud and oof - " Eddie tripped over a potato and stared at the ground curiously, looking at the mixture of plastic bags and stray produce with a look of utter bewilderment. "Woah? Are you okay?"

She froze.

Eddie was staring at her in concern, his face full of questions. Patricia launched to her feet and frantically snatched at some of the fallen vegetables. She shakily put a few into a bag, but her hands were shaking and she felt like she couldn't breathe. The tears will still flowing and what was with her? It seemed as if Eddie's breakdown had fueled one of her own. She fumbled with the bags and sobbed with the aggravation of it all.

"Take it easy, I got it."

Eddie knelt down beside Patricia and gently unwrapped her fingers that were tightly wound around the grocery bags. He picked everything up effortlessly and wordlessly removed the keys from her jerky fingers. He opened the door and held it open for her, careful not to let the vegetables fall.

"I don't know what happened but I'm sure it will be fine," Eddie attempted, dropping the packages onto Patricia's table and then guiding her to the couch. "Take a couple of deep breaths and just regroup," he soothed, patting her hand helplessly. "Are you going to throw up or something?" Eddie looked at Patricia anxiously, eyes darting around in an effort to find the nearest trashcan.

"No," Patricia whispered, hiccuping as her breathing normalized. "Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I would have done without your help."

"I'm sure you would have been fine," Eddie countered. "Just the other day you showed me what you're capable of with that awesome attitude of yours. I'm sure you would have overcome it," he said, feeling his stomach flutter when Patricia cracked a small smile. "Do you want to talk about? You might feel better or something."

"It's stupid," Patricia closed her eyes. "I rarely break down like this, it makes me feel so weak. My mom has been bugging me all week to visit her and I don't really like visiting my parents, it reminds me of an unhappy time. She was pushing hard and she told me I don't care and that I'm not making the effort and how I should put family first. And coming from her...the _audacity..._I just... I don't know..."

Eddie leaned over and tentatively drew his arms around her. "No explanation necessary, I think I get it," he murmured. He tugged Patricia closer until her head was leaning on his chest and waited for her to move.

She didn't.

"I'm really sorry you had to deal with all this," Patricia whispered hoarsely after a long while. "I hate being seen like this."

"If I remember correctly, we were in a very similar situation just the other day. With the roles reversed. Consider this as me returning the favor," Eddie offered with a small, but sincere smile. It was kind of amusing when you put it like that.

"I like snugging," Patricia said absently. It was random and for her pretty bold, but she was too far gone to care about feeling self-conscious. There would be no point.

"Me too!" Eddie exclaimed. "All my friends have at one point or another referred to me as a cuddle monster."

Patricia let out a small giggle as she wiped her eyes. "Actually, I believe the correct term is cuddle whore," she offered. "We're adults. Bad words are acceptable."

"Cuddle monster is cuter," Eddie argued. "And I like to think I'm pretty cute," he boasted.

"That I won't argue with," Patricia murmured, nestling in closer and closing her eyes again. "Thanks again, Eddie. It means a lot."

"Shut up and nap. I love napping. Every minute we spend talking is a minute we could spend sleeping, let's get this cuddle session going!"

"God, you're a dork."

* * *

Eddie hadn't felt this excited in a long time. He had so many ideas running all over the place at once. So much he wanted to convey, express, _write. _Usually, he sort of liked hand-writing his work. At least first drafts. But with his brain racing a mile a minute, he knew his hand had no chance of keeping up. So the laptop it was. The keys clacked noisily as his fingers flew over them, his inspiration coming in short but powerful bursts.

Patricia's rough day had struck something within him. All of a sudden, Eddie was feeling fairly ambitious. He skipped the poetry and the official outlining. Instead, he did something he hadn't done in a long time. He free wrote. His moments with Patricia and feelings regarding them tumbled onto the word document in a messy, but particular way. When he was done with this, he'd have a gold mine of material to work with. He could write a short story with these notes. A novel even.

_"Hi. I'm Eddie Sweet."_

_"Hi. I don't see why I should tell you my name."_

Eddie chuckled as he typed out their conversation, beaming at the memory of first meeting Patricia. It made him feel happy. When he was done recounting all the details of their time spent together, he could start properly molding it and twisting it into something fiction based on the truth...based on his own experiences. Isn't that was good writers do? They write what they know.

And somewhere along the line, Patricia had become all Eddie knew.

* * *

Patricia was feeling a lot less awkward than she thought she would. After she and Eddie had woken up from their nap, he had politely kissed her cheek and made sure she was feeling better before returning to his own apartment to get some work done. He had even offered to cook, but that's where Patricia drew the line. To her knowledge, Eddie knew how to make a grand total of three dishes, and she wasn't that desperate. In fact, she was feeling much better.

She hadn't expected to feel so _relieved. _She was brilliant at bottling in her feelings and hadn't let loose for a long time. The breakdown was almost random...uncalled for. But Patricia didn't care. After she was done crying, she had felt a little more free.

She would have felt embarrassed but the thing was, she had seen Eddie in a similar state. Patricia was all about being on the same ground as someone else. And normally, she felt insecure. She _always _felt as though she was less than anyone else, so she never got too close. But Eddie didn't make her feel like that. She sort of..._trusted _him.

"Bizarre," Patricia noted to herself, slowly getting up and stretching her limbs before heading to the kitchen. She _trusted _Eddie. That was a scary thought that she sort of didn't want to think about.

Except...wait a minute.

She had thought that liking him was a scary thought too, and now she was handling that perfectly well. There was no reason to avoid thinking about. In fact, she should _do _something about it.

With a sudden burst of giddy motivation, Patricia checked her reflection in the mirror, and once satisfied, dashed out of her apartment...and went straight to Eddie's.

* * *

"Eddie!" Patricia smiled brightly at him the moment he opened the door. Eddie looked at her, a little confused. He hadn't expected to see her smiling so soon. When Eddie didn't open the door wider, she coughed lightly. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Eddie propped the door open with his foot and motioned for Patricia to step inside. "Sorry about that. I just wasn't expecting to see you look so happy after..."

"...my little temper tantrum? I'm feeling much better now," Patricia informed in. She was practically bouncing on her feet, she was so excited for this.

Eddie tilted his head to one side and carefully scanned her appearance. "Are you feeling okay? You seem a little hyper." His watchful gaze quickly morphed into one of horror. "Oh my god, are you _on _something? You didn't seem like the drug using type!" His eyes widened further as the careless words tumbled out of his mouth. "I mean...I won't judge...I..."

"I'm not on drugs," Patricia said impatiently. "Though you're very adorable when you stammer like that, so maybe I'll consider it," she joked.

Eddie breathed a side of relief and then grinned at Patricia appreciatively. It felt nice to see that quirky humor come back.

"Follow me," Patricia continued, grabbing his hand and tugging him across the living room.

"You do realize this is _my _home."

"You do realize I _don't _care," Patricia retorted, pushing him lightly onto the arm chair before dropping onto his lap.

She let her legs hang over the edge of the chair and promptly wound her arms around Eddie's neck. Eddie looked completely lost. He wasn't complaining but he didn't know where the forwardness was coming from and just days before, Patricia had clearly expressed an interest in taking it slow. He was terribly confused.

"What's going on?" Eddie attempted to get up without dropping Patricia onto the ground. "Let me - "

"Sshh," Patricia said. She shot him one last adoring look before leaning in closer. It was now over. "I really like you too. I didn't actually tell you that, and I really needed to," she breathed before hesitantly slanting her lips over his. As bemused as he was, Eddie couldn't help but respond. He sighed happily when Patricia deepened the kiss and responded just as fiercely for a few moments before he realized what he was doing.

He couldn't do this. Not here. Not like this.

"Stop," he gasped, gently pushing her off. "We have to talk. We can't do this right now."

All Patricia could process was the moment in which she was pushed off Eddie. _Rejected _by Eddie. Pain washed over her and she swallowed hard. She felt so stupid. He had _said _he liked her. If it wasn't true, he shouldn't have lied. She felt strung along. Used, even.

"I don't think there's anything to talk about," Patricia said stiffly, fiercely swiping a stray tear away. She wasn't going to cry in front of Eddie. Not again.

"No, hold on," Eddie pleaded. "There is _everything _to talk about. You can't just - " Eddie winced as the door slammed closed. Somewhere in between his messy speech, Patricia had gotten up and left. "...leave," he finished lamely with a deep sigh.

Eddie buried his face in his hands and groaned. He couldn't erase the sad, unwanted look that had painted Patricia's face. Or the angry, hurt, accusing one. He hadn't meant to screw this up, but somehow he had.

He thought he heard a small sob come from across the hall.

That was it.

He refused to let Patricia cry twice in one day. Be disappointed by _two _people in day. That wasn't fair and he had to explain. Whatever Patricia was thinking was wrong. She didn't understand.

And so he hoisted himself up off the armchair and took a deep breath before slipping out his apartment.

He ran after her.

* * *

**A/N: **OH NO Patricia kissed Eddie because she was beginning to trust him and wanted to move forward but Eddie is trying to be sensitive to her needs and wanted to take it a little slower and it looks like they're both a little confused. Well, at least Eddie is. Patricia is just angry and hurt. Fun times. I know that I kind of ended up writing two dramatic and emotional chapters in a row but it just sort of happened. Love it? Hate it? By all means, let me know. But anyway, I promise the next two chapters are basically fluffy and hopefully a little humorous too. And in case you were wondering: I have outlined the rest of the story and it's looking like it's going to be 15 chapters long, epilogue included. That could change along the way, but I bet it won't. So yeah - 7/15 of the way there, this is basically the halfway point! Hope you all liked it, despite all the crazy emotions and tough times!


	8. Chapter 8

******A/N:** Yay, I'm glad you guys liked the element of drama! A little serious emotion here and there never hurt anyone. And as always, thank you for all the kind comments! A lot of you say that you get excited when I updated this fic. Let me tell you a little secret: I get excited too. Your support and feedback thrills me :)

House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Patricia had never run faster in her life.

She skidded into her apartment and stopped in the hall to catch her breath. Still panting, she realized that she would have to move and she would have to do it soon. Even though Eddie didn't like her or care for her, Patricia was still fairly certain that he would come after her. Probably to make himself feel better, she thought bitterly. A small part of her knew she was being irrational and that Eddie hadn't actually done anything wrong, but the larger part of her hated him right now. He had pretend to care. He had broken down her walls. And then he had _rejected _her.

So she had to keep running.

Patricia was about to leave the apartment when she heard approaching footsteps. God, she refused to leave this space and run straight into Eddie and his stupid, fumbling words of explanation. That wasn't an option. Now desperate, Patricia raced into her bedroom and wrenched upon the window beside the air conditioner.

All she could hear were her own sobs and the faint sound of Eddie calling her name.

Ignoring her desperate inner wish to answer his voice, Patricia carefully stepped outside of the window and on to the fire escape. She climbed down half the first flight of stairs so she couldn't be seen, and then sat down, resting her head on her knees. The tears continued to fall.

Despite the blaring sounds of traffic and the shouts of neighborhood children and city goers returning home from work, the world seemed silent. Patricia could swear that the only thing she could hear was the sound of her continuous sniffling.

Patricia was definitely alone, and she had brought it open herself. She should have never trusted Eddie.

* * *

Patricia's door was flung wide open. That was the first thing that Eddie noticed. He wasn't surprised by the pang of concern that hit him square in the chest. Open doors in New York City were dangerous and he didn't like the idea of anything happening to her.

Eddie surveyed the hall of the apartment building and shook his head. He had followed her immediately. She wouldn't have had the chance to escape the building. So that meant...

He carefully tiptoed inside the apartment, breathing softly. His heart was pounding loudly against his chest, and he took a deep breath to calm himself. Where could Patricia be? Eddie had been calling her name in the hallway, but now that he was in her personal space, words were failing him. And besides. Something within himself was telling him to keep quiet.

Eddie didn't want to lose Patricia. Not like this, at least. It was imperative that she knew the truth. Of _course _he wanted her. Eddie found it ludicrous that her insecurities had blinded her of this fact. He had been going slow for her sake, not because he didn't want to. For god's sake, that had been the best kiss of his life and it had barely lasted a few seconds.

Surveying Patricia's apartment, Eddie's brows furrowed in deep thought. He was almost done searching the apartment and the only room left was her bedroom. He carefully slipped inside, and cautiously looked around.

And then Eddie saw it.

His heart stopped.

Patricia's window was wide open, curtains billowing in the light evening breeze.

* * *

Eddie stuck his neck out the window desperately, his heart thudding in fear. He refused to think morbid thoughts. Absolutely not._  
_

His whole chest heaved with relief when he saw her. She had climbed down some stairs stairs and was sitting on the fire escape as though it was the most normal place to be. His heart sank when he realized she was indeed crying. Oh god, the drama. Eddie still wasn't sure how he had managed to let this happen.

"You scared me," Eddie accused, wincing. The moment the words flew out of his mouth he regretted his approach. But still. He was upset. "What are you thinking, going down there? You could fall or anything could happen, we're on the 6th floor!"

"This building has 25 floors. Nothing will happen from over here," Patricia countered in a hoarse voice. She immediately wanted to kick herself for speaking to him. Contact with Eddie hadn't been a part of her plan but oh well. "Don't flatter yourself," she added disgustedly. "I wasn't going to jump."

"But you might have fallen."

Eddie bit his lip nervously before bending down low and squeezing through the window. There was no other way to reach Patricia other than to be close to her. He joined her on the red steps.

"Go away," Patricia whispered. Eddie hated how she sounded so broken. "I don't need your pity company, so just get lost."

Her words were harsh, but her tone wasn't sharp or furious, even though Eddie was certain she must be. Somewhere in the last few minutes, Patricia's anger had evaporated. She was in too much pain to be angry right now.

"You misunderstood me," Eddie attempted to explain.

"Clearly," Patricia laughed brokenly and avoided meeting his gaze. "I thought you liked me. I tried to act on that. Turns out I was wrong. I don't know _how _that even happened considering you _told _me you cared for me. I have to say. You're a good liar."

"It wasn't a lie," Eddie did the best to keep his exasperation out of his tone. "I really like you, I've made that clear the entire time."

"Pushing someone away when they finally work up the nerve to reciprocate feelings is perfectly clear, definitely," Patricia muttered sarcastically. "Like I'm supposed to believe that. You _lied, _Eddie."

"This conversation isn't going anywhere," Eddie muttered to himself. "I can see how hesitant you sometimes are, Patricia. I've seen that you can be a really fun person but I've also seen you pretty scared too. I pushed you away because I was trying to be sensitive to your needs, not because I don't _like _you. I obviously want to be with you, I've basically implied that from the start. And I can see how all the misunderstandings happened. In retrospect, I can see that you _were _ready and that maybe I shouldn't have stopped you. But I never lied."

Eddie paused and stopped to catch his breath. He looked a little puzzled; as though he wanted to add more to his speech but didn't how to go about doing so. He was a guy after all. This was getting a little mushy, definitely unfamiliar territory. He glanced up at Patricia and saw that her gaze had slightly softened, understanding dawning upon her.

He smiled faintly. She wasn't going to resist him anymore.

There was only way to fix this.

He scooted closer. Patricia leaned back, giving Eddie a look of slight aversion. He wasn't fazed. Capturing her face between his hands, Eddie leaned in and kissed Patricia like she had kissed him. Patricia pushed at his chest and Eddie immediately leaned back, nervous and worried. He was so sure that she would reciprocate.

Patricia was eyeing him with apprehensive confusion. Realizing that all she needed was a little reassurance, Eddie smiled softly and sincerely, answering all of her unspoken questions. Her mouth parted open in a small "oh" of understanding. She smiled hesitantly, and that was all the permission he needed.

Eddie closed his mouth over hers once more and kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her with a soft smile. They pulled apart after a minute and sat there in content silence.

Finally, Patricia stretched out her hand.

"I think we're on the same page now," she murmured with a small, embarrassed laugh.

"I think so too," Eddie grinned and cheerfully accepted her hand in his.

"So are we...?"

"You're my girlfriend, Patricia," Eddie huffed. "Got a problem with that? Because when I kiss someone I like to think it means something."

"No problem at all," Patricia beamed at Eddie's cheeky tone. "It sort of means everything," she added, enjoying how the tips of Eddie's ears darkened. He brushed away his embarrassment and leaned forward to kiss her again.

A girl could get used to this.

* * *

Patricia smiled goofily to herself as she stepped out of the elevator. She and Eddie had been dating for two weeks and it had been the best two weeks of her life, so far. She had quit her job at Ella's Coffee with her internship right around the corner, and school had started up too. One more academic year and she would be done with her education. It was an exciting thought.

She fished for her house key in her purse, frowning when she realized it wasn't there. Hopefully, she had just forgotten it at home. It was lucky that Eddie had her spare. Pulling out her cellphone she dialed Eddie's number.

And heard it ring from within her apartment.

She pounded on the front door. "Eddie! What are you doing in my house? Let me in!"

"Hey," Eddie said breathlessly into the phone. "What's this about me being in your house? I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.

"Eddie, honestly," Patricia said, exasperated. "I called your phone and I _heard _it ring. You took my key, didn't you? Let me in!"

"Okay, okay, fine," Eddie relented. "I'm in your house...but I'm not letting you in."

"What? Why?"

"You can't know that," he insisted. "Go wait in my apartment."

_"What?" _

"I'll be there in a little bit. See you soon. You're beautiful. I think I might love you. Adios!"

Patricia grinned and let herself into Eddie's apartment, all previous irritation and curiosity over Eddie being in her home forgotten.

He thought he might love her?

* * *

"SURPRISE!"

Patricia jumped back in shock.

Suddenly it all made sense.

Eddie had joined her later that evening and convinced her into spending the night at his place and she had never made it back home, since she kept an overnight bag across the hall. They hadn't really done anything yet, but let's face it. Patricia was a "cuddle monster" too, as Eddie liked to phrase it.

She had left for her classes and then work and then when she got home...

Naturally, Eddie would put together a surprise birthday party. She didn't know how he knew when her birthday was. Or how he had gotten her classmates there. But she wasn't surprised. He was a raging romantic, whether he admitted it or not.

"How...?" Patricia looked around in amazement, giving her blond friend a hug.

"I'm an expert Facebook stalker," Eddie winked. "I wanted to do something for your birthday, even though you hadn't mentioned it. 25 is an important milestone! And from my expert stalking skills, I could see that Amber was your closet friend at school."

"She spams my timeline for homework," Patricia corrected. She watched her classmate..._friend _person bounce around and brag about being the one to choose the decorations and make the guest list and smiled softly. The girl was pretty sweet even though she could be annoying and Patricia had never really realized how much time they spent together in class. "But I guess we are friends," she marveled. Eddie simply smiled.

"She really likes you," he said. "I mean, she was super helpful with all the party planning."

"Honestly, I didn't really want to go to law school at first. Too much reading. But daddy says that lawyers are powerful people and power is a must, especially if I want to do corporate law and work with fashion designers and things like that," Amber was gushing.

Patricia snorted at Amber's ramblings and the confused, disinterested young man from their constitutional law class that Amber had ambushed. "I think she just likes parties and being social," Patricia said.

"Probably," Eddie agreed, pulling Patricia in closer until their bodies were pressed together. He still couldn't get over the fact that he was allowed to hold her like this. "Happy Birthday," he whispered into her ear before pressing his lips to her.

Patricia locked her arms around his neck and beamed, kissing him back. When they came apart, Eddie wrapped an arm around Patricia's shoulders and they surveyed the party together in appreciative silence.

There were actually a lot of people at this little surprise party. Classmates and friends that cared enough about Patricia to show up.

She was pleasantly surprised to see how many people considered her a part of their lives even though she had never felt the same. By being civil and polite, Patricia was actually closer to more people than she thought she was.

She had Eddie to thank for that.

* * *

**A/N:** LOL Amber is one of my favorite characters on the show so I decided to throw her in the mix as a cameo. Could you imagine cute little Amber in law school simply because she wants to have a lot of money like her daddy and basically rule the world? She's adorable. But anyway, I digress.

I hope everyone liked the fluff, even though the chapter was a little shorter than usual. The next chapter will definitely be longer since I have more scenes planned out for that but no worries - the happy times do continue!


	9. Chapter 9

******A/N: **Peddie happened last chapter - it was about time! As usual, I'm still ridiculously grateful for all the support! Everyone has been so awesome; thank you especially for waiting and understanding. This update is nearly three weeks late and I'm hoping I won't that behind again. To make up for it, I'll shoot to get another chapter out this week itself. Again, I apologize for the wait! Happy reading.

**********Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Nina poked her head into Eddie's workspace and smiled. "Let's go to Ella's for lunch," she suggested. Eddie grunted noncommittally as he continued to type steadily, fingers flying over the keyboard with practiced ease. With a pencil tucked behind his ear and a frown of concentration on his face, Eddie was deep in his writing mode. "You never turn down food," she accused when Eddie still didn't look up.

"I think I'm on to something," he flashed his friend an enthusiastic grin. "Go without me? You know moments like this have been few and far between. This might be more than just a short story, this could actually be my first book. You know how much I want this."

"Yeah I do. I'm just surprised how good your flow has been. The last time you were this inspired was when you wanted to write about..." Nina trailed off, narrowing her eyes. "Eddie, are you writing about Patricia? Without her permission?"

"I don't need her permission," Eddie protested. "She's a muse of sorts. And besides, this is _fiction. _She's just the inspiration. I think she'd be proud of me."

"It's not that," Nina said hastily. "Don't get me wrong. Just be careful, okay? I can't stress that enough. From what you've told me about Patricia, she seems a little sensitive. You guys _just _got together. She might not appreciate you writing about her. She might feel used or exposed and god knows. It could get really complicated."

"She's not that dramatic," Eddie scoffed. "Now seriously, I'll talk to you later. I really want to get back to this," he gestured to his computer.

"But she _is _vulnerable. And I get it, Shakespeare. I'm going, I'm going." Nina rolled her eyes but patted Eddie's shoulder encouragingly. "I'll grab something and take it back for you, no worries. You're still meeting with me and Fabian tonight though, right? We have so much wedding planning to do and your opinion means everything to him." Nina sounded a little exasperated but Eddie merely winked.

"It's the ultimate bromance," he said. "Now get lost, I'm working," he whined. Putting her hands up in surrender, Nina backed out of his cubicle space and headed for the glass doors that led to the elevator. "Nina, wait! Can I bring my um...can Patricia come too?"

"_Girlfriend _is the word you're looking for," Nina supplied teasingly. "And of course you can! I can't wait to officially meet her and Fabian's only caught a glimpse of her too. Bring her by our place, it will be great. The four of us can do dinner. See you later, Eddie!"

* * *

"Thanks for coming," Eddie said sincerely, reaching for Patricia's hand and clasping it in his. They were standing in front of Fabian and Nina's apartment, waiting for them to open the door.

"I want to meet your friends, so it's not a problem," Patricia replied. "Plus I'm interested to see what kind of person would want to be friends with you," she teased.

"That's certainly something coming from my girlfriend," Eddie huffed. He had practiced referring to Patricia as his girlfriend in his mind all day and grinned when Patricia looked a little stunned Obviously she hadn't done the same; she was cute when she was all bashful like that, pleased but surprised at the title.

Fabian threw the front door open and pulled Eddie in for an enthusiastic hug. "Hey buddy! I'm so glad you could make it!" Patricia raised an eyebrow but said nothing at Fabian's amusing greeting.

"It's the ultimate bromance, apparently," Nina explained, walking around Fabian and Eddie until she was standing before Patricia. "It's really nice to meet you! I think we've seen each other before though."

"I worked at Ella's Coffee Shop this summer. You're a regular and loyal customer" Patricia said politely. "It's really nice to meet you too."

"Reserved but cuter than I remember," Nina whispered to Eddie as the four of them moved further inside the apartment and settled in. "Nice work, Eddie."

"You are such a bro," Eddie grinned and high-fived Nina, thankful at the easygoing nature of their friendship.

Fabian clapped his hands together and pulled out a piece of paper. "Lots to get done. So uh...should we start with flowers? Eddie, dude. Remember to take my side every time."

Nina merely sighed. "As if you actually care about what flowers we have. The bride always wins! But either way, Patricia will take _my _side, isn't that right?"

Slightly surprised but touched at Nina's effort to include her in the group, Patricia nodded vigorously, eager to please. "Anything to take down Eddie," she said, earning a round of laughter from everyone.

The next few hours were dedicated to wedding planning. Nina and Fabian broke out into fierce debate over every other issue much to Eddie and Patricia's amusement. Opting to stay out of the conflict, the couple ended up silently watching their engaged friends argue.

"Fabian! I have planned this entire wedding from start to finish inside my mind. You _cannot _interfere with my vision!"

"And I haven't?" Fabian retorted. Eddie smirked at this and nudged Fabian until he realized what he had admitted. "Guys can plan their wedding too," Fabian argued. But he shrank back and reached for a pen, checking something off the list. "Next," he muttered. Nina beamed.

About an hour later, Nina gently removed the papers from Fabian's hands. "That's enough for now," she said. Turning to Eddie and Patricia, she motioned towards the fridge. "Ice cream?"

"No thanks," Eddie immediately replied. "We're actually going on our first date."

"But it's already nine. And you guys just had dinner. What could you possibly be doing?"

Patricia nodded in agreement at Nina's concerns. "Besides! Shouldn't you officially ask me out on this mysterious date to make it count? That's conventional."

"I'm unconventional," Eddie quipped, rising to his feet. "This will count. Coming?"

"Of course I am," Patricia stood up and hesitantly gave Nina a hug before walking towards the door. "Thanks for having us. See you next time."

"Let me know all about the date!" Nina giggled.

Patricia smiled. Nina was easy to be friends with. Waving goodbye, she and Eddie left and stepped outside into the cool evening.

"Fall has fallen," Eddie remarked, zipping up his jacket.

"That pun wasn't funny," Patricia criticized, her eyes gleaming with humor.

"You mean _punny," _Eddie grinned at Patricia's loud groan and reached for her hand. "Come on, to Washington Square!"

"What's happening there? That's my turf."

"Which is exactly why you should know what's happening," he teased. "There's a movie screening happening right out in the middle. It will be fun and romantic and cute and everything."

"Ah. Eddie, did it ever occur to you that I would have felt those things without you broadcasting them? I don't think that's how it's done."

"That's how I do it," he replied solemnly, throwing himself onto the freshly cut grass and pulling Patricia down next to him. She squealed and wormed out his grasp until they were both breathless from their little game. Tucking Patricia into his side, Eddie securely wrapped an arm around her shoulder and directed his attention to the movie.

It was perfect.

* * *

Everything was going so smoothly. Patricia had never felt so content before in her entire life. She and Eddie continued to date, with no problems at all. It felt like a never-ending honeymoon period. Most of the time, it was wonderful. But some days, Patricia couldn't help but wonder. When was real life going to start? Was this just a phase? Would it get harder? Was it _possible _to be this happy all the time?

For now, her answer was yes.

She and Eddie had slipped into a solid rhythm. Eddie would head to work in the mornings and Patricia would go to class. They usually couldn't do lunch together because Eddie's office was in the opposite direction of the NYU campus and even though Patricia's was done with class by two in the afternoon, she still had to go straight to the internship afterwards.

The summer was over, but their relationship was still thriving. Evenings consisted of Patricia raiding Eddie's apartment or vice versa. She would work on her papers and reading while Eddie would do his office work and occasionally his own personal writing (something he claimed to be super excited about but wouldn't show Patricia. Not yet at least) in addition to other things.

It was startling how easy it had been for the two of them to fall into such a easy pattern. This was their life now. Cooking together (okay, Patricia cooked and Eddie got to set the table) or ordering takeout. Watching movies and playing video games. Walking in the park or roaming museums. They didn't go on "dates" anymore, they just spent their free time together and it felt _so _good.

Sometimes Patricia considered the topic of moving in together but they lived right across the hall from one another and the extra space was nice. Plus they hadn't been dating that long...what if they broke up or something? It was too soon to get that serious. Besides, every night was basically a sleepover anyway. Not that they had taken the big step yet. Patricia hadn't brought sex up, and surprisingly, neither had Eddie.

Patricia knew she was being kind of old-fashioned but she was still so insecure. She had come along way, but still, she just wasn't ready yet. Somedays, Patricia almost wished Eddie would say something. She was anxious to see how that aspect of their relationship would pan out. They had to talk about it someday and she was too shy to be the one to get that discussion started. For now, Eddie seemed content with making out and second base and Patricia was beyond grateful.

Sighing, Patricia shook her head in an effort to dispel all sex related thoughts out of her mind. She was surprised when she heard the doorbell ring. Eddie had his own key, he almost never rang anymore. Unless it was someone else? She set down her textbook and headed for the door.

She opened it and was met with the sight of a tired, disheveled Eddie. His hair was mussed and sticking out every which way, his sleeves rolled up and tie loosened. His briefcase hung limply at his side and he stared at her with sleepy, heavy lidded eyes.

"Let me in," he whined. "I forgot my key in your room," he explained before she could ask.

"You look so sexy," Patricia said. Oh god. She had _no _filter whatsoever. If she hadn't been thinking about _those _things only minutes before she would have never said anything like that! Seeing her wide, panicked eyes, Eddie let out an exhausted chuckle.

"It's totally fine," he assured her. "In fact, I am thrilled. I am so glad you appreciate my body," he said, wiggling his eyebrows and winking.

"Don't let it get to your head," Patricia reluctantly grumbled, relieved the exchange hadn't been awkward. "Tough day at work?"

"Yes," he groaned, sinking onto the couch and curling up. Patricia giggled at Eddie's childish behavior.

"You'd be more comfortable if you changed and ate something," she pointed out. Eddie hid his face further into the pillow and mumbled something that Patricia interpreted as "no". Sighing, she disappeared into her room and came out moments later, clothes in hand. She flung a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt at Eddie, smiling in satisfaction when he failed to shield himself. "Get changed," she instructed.

"Fine," he muttered, sitting up and removing his tie. Patricia mentally groaned as Eddie began to shrug out of his shirt right in front of her. It wasn't that she hadn't seen him shirtless or didn't appreciate it...it just reminded her of that stupid sex talk they had to have (the one that Eddie seemed oblivious to) soon. Turning around, Patricia practically darted into the kitchen and focused on making a cup of coffee for her exhausted, rumpled boyfriend.

A few minutes later, Patricia emerged holding a steaming mug of coffee. She placed it into Eddie's outstretched hands and he sighed with content. "You're the best," he declared, raising the cup to his lips. Taking a long sip, Eddie savored the coffee before setting the mug back on the table. "So...I got something in the mail today."

"Your certification of dorkiness?"

"Mm that hasn't come in yet," Eddie said cleverly. "But no. Fabian and Nina's wedding invitation, actually."

Absorbed in her homework, Patricia didn't look up. "As if you need to be invited to that. If you couldn't make it, they wouldn't do it that day. You're _that _important to them," she said.

"You sort of got one too" Eddie said. He pulled a stack of mail out of his briefcase and handed it to her. Murmuring a quiet thanks, Patricia turned the envelope over in her hand before opening it. "This is my invitation. By the time they had met you, it was too late to print another card but I was specifically instructed to bring you along."

"Wow," Patricia breathed. "That was nice of them to think of me. Weddings aren't really my thing though. I'm sure they were just being polite."

"Does that mean you won't go with me?"

"You're asking me to be your date?" Patricia seemed surprised.

Eddie beamed. "You're my girlfriend! Who else would I ask? They're getting married in upstate New York. We're going to head up there a few days early and help get everything set up and enjoy the fall weather and the area before their wedding. It's basically a whole week affair for their close friends. Will you please come with me?"

Patricia flung her arms around Eddie's neck with abandoned. He nearly lost his balance, laughing in shock as he sort of fell backwards onto the couch. Eagerly returning the embrace, Eddie eventually managed to pull back and glance into Patricia's face.

"What happened to weddings not being your thing?" he teased.

"Shut up," she mumbled, tangling her hands into his hair and pressing her lips against his. "It will be great," she breathed against his mouth.

Thoroughly content, Eddie could only moan in response, absorbed in their heated kiss.

Well...his bad day had certainly gotten a lot better.

* * *

**A/N: **Next up...a fluffy weekend in upstate NY and maybe an awkward sex talk because that sounds like fun. And incase you were wondering, this fic won't have any smut or graphic details whatsoever. I'm not really capable of writing something like that and it would feel strange writing that with characters originally young and innocent and everything.

See you next time and please let me know what you thought of this chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

******A/N: **I present to you the tenth installment! Much quicker this time since I promised to update twice this week. Slowly but surely, this fic is winding down. We're 2/3 of the way through and it has been a wonderful ride. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, but I just wanted to remind everyone this story will have a total of 15 chapters, epilogue included. Thanks for all the amazing comments! You all rock.

**********Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

"Good morning," Eddie beamed at Patricia who blinked back sleepily in response. She tilted her head in confusion, wondering why Eddie was knocking on her door when she was positive he had stayed over last night.

"Didn't you crash here last night? What exactly are you doing out there?" Patricia poked her head out the door, scanning the hall for some sort of explanation. She didn't find one.

"I did. But I wanted to pick you up officially," Eddie said brightly. "And I can't pick you up if I'm already in your home. So I woke up before you and locked myself out." Eddie grinned at her with pride, thoroughly pleased with his logic.

"Ridiculous! But really sweet too," Patricia rolled her eyes fondly and opened the door wider. "Come on in," she said dramatically. Eddie cheerfully stepped inside and started to whistle. Patricia raised an eyebrow, assessing Eddie's appearance. "Are you a morning?"

"I'm an _always _person," Eddie replied. "Come on, go get dressed! It's a two hour car ride to Poughkeepsie and we should get going. We're going to spend all weekend in upstate New York. It's awesome up there. Could be inspirational for me!"

"You don't need inspiration," Patricia countered, padding over to the hall closet and pulling out fresh towels. "Don't think I don't see you scribbling in your notebook all the time or typing away on your laptop. You're definitely on to something."

Eddie shrugged slyly, before gently pushing her into the bathroom. "Just shower," he commanded, closing the door behind him. "It' a good thing we packed our bags last night," he added, raising his voice so Patricia could hear him behind the closed door. "Or we'd be so late. Girls take forever."

"Whatever," Patricia grumbled. "If the door was open I'd have chucked this shampoo bottle at your head."

Chuckling, Eddie settled onto the armchair in the living room and pulled his laptop out of one of his bags. He didn't deny what Patricia had said; in fact, she was absolutely right. He _was _onto something. Patricia was his inspiration and his latest story was based on her and some of her experiences. He couldn't wait to show her the finished product.

Pulling the word document up, he hummed with happiness when he noticed the page count on the bottom. 235 pages and he was nowhere near done. This was going to be incredible. Or at least he hoped it would be. Lost in thought, Eddie didn't notice when Patricia snuck up behind him, freshly showered and clothed.

"Boo!" she whispered.

Eddie jumped and instinctively clicked out of the word document. He turned around, still recovering from the surprise. "Oh good. You're all set to go."

"Yeah...I didn't think you'd actually get scared though," Patricia shot him an odd look. "What were you working on anyway?" She curiously glanced at Eddie's desktop screen as though that would give her a clue.

"Work."

"Ah. The mysterious project you refuse to talk about every time I see you working on it," Patricia said dramatically. "Don't worry, I won't push you. Now come on. Whose slowing us down now?"

"Not me," Eddie retorted, jumping to his feet and heading for the door. He grabbed his bags and managed to take one of Patricia's too. "To the car!"

Giggling, Patricia followed his lead. And when Eddie sang the entire two hour car ride, her laughter only intensified. Because Eddie Sweet was many things...but a good singer wasn't included in that list.

* * *

"Patricia!" Nina flung her arms around the other girl's neck, releasing her a quick moment later. "I'm so glad you're here! My bridesmaids are here but I could really use a fresh opinion. I have one last dress fitting today and my maid of honor is going to be there. But I'd love it if you would come too."

Patricia gaped at Nina in surprise. Taking a quick second to observe Fabian, she realized the young man had his arm slung over Eddie's shoulder, cheerfully chatting. As a couple, Nina and Fabian were both fairly enthusiastic people. Thoughtful, too. It was nice to be considered.

"Of course. I'll be there," Patricia promised. She turned her attention to the front desk of the hotel and pulled out her wallet so she could check-in. Sliding her identification across the table, she waited.

The clerk glanced at the identification before sliding it back. "Patricia Williamson? Your husband just checked you in, you're all taken care of," he said politely.

She stared at him blankly. Her _husband? _Looking around confusedly, Eddie shot her a sheepish wave. "Um. Fabian and Nina booked the rooms and it's coming out of their pocket so we sort of got booked together. They just kind of assumed..."

"...that we're married?" Patricia finished, the skepticism lacing her tone.

"No!" Eddie quickly said. "Fabian and Nina know we're just dating. The clerk got the wrong idea somehow. But I mean...how does it matter right? We usually spend the nights together anyway," he pointed out.

"Right," Patricia echoed. Eddie was right. There was nothing to worry about. Being called his _wife _had startled her though. Even if it had been an accident it had kind of gotten her thinking. Shaking her head, she scanned the lobby until she spotted Nina. "I have to go help Nina," Patricia murmured, excusing herself. She hurriedly left, leaving Eddie standing alone who shrugged and resumed his conversation with Fabian.

"There you are!" Nina exclaimed. "We're just about to head up to my room and try everything on again. This is my best friend, Mara." Patricia nodded and smiled, shaking the third girl's hand and murmuring a polite greeting.

They all headed for the elevator and went to Nina's room. Mara perched herself on the edge of the bed and Patricia stood awkwardly in the corner. Weddings were sappy and emotional and pretty much against everything Patricia believed in. She found them sweet though...even though she rarely admitted it. Swallowing hard, she silently watched Nina look at her reflection.

"Do you think it's too long?" Nina seemed nervous. She was biting her lip and fingering the hem of the dress with careful hands.

"No," Mara soothed. "Of course not! You look beautiful."

"It's perfect," Patricia found herself adding. "Fabian will um...love you more than he already does."

Mara squealed at this, nodding so hard her curls bounced with her. "Patricia is absolutely right! You're _stunning, _Nina. You can try on your dress a million times between now and Sunday and that's not going to change. You look amazing."

"Thank you," Nina bowed her head bashfully, looking relieved. "I'm glad we decided to go for the flowery neckline. It's different but I think it looks nice. What do _you _think, Patricia?" Nina frowned, waving her hand in front of Patricia's face in order to get her attention. "Patricia?"

"Huh?" Patricia blinked hastily, before nodding. "Oh! Sorry. I, um. The flower look is incredible," she said.

Nina nodded, satisfied. Shooting her a teasing look, she elbowed her new friend gently. "What were you thinking about? Your and Eddie's wedding?"

"No!" Of course not!"

Never in a million years would she admit that's _exactly _what she had been thinking about.

* * *

"I've heard Vassar has a cool college campus," Eddie mused. "I want to see fall foliage. They'll have nice trees, don't you think?" Eddie closed the booklet of attractions and smacked Fabian on the head with it. "_Dude, _you're not listening."

"Yes," Fabian replied.

Eddie scoffed. "Yes to what?"

"...to whatever you asked?" Fabian looked so earnestly hopeful that Eddie couldn't help but chuckle. "Getting cold feet?" It wasn't hard to tell that Fabian was busy thinking about the wedding.

"Nope," Fabian said confidently. "It's not that. No fear of backing out whatsoever. Nina is _it _for me. This wedding is supposed to happen. I just...I don't want to mess it up."

"You couldn't if you tried, buddy," Eddie said. "I can't believe you're getting _married," _he shook his head in wonder.

"I can't either," Fabian said. "But can I tell you something? I always thought you'd be first." Eddie looked at him expectantly, waiting for his reasoning. Fabian cleared his throat and shrugged. "You play it cool but between the two of us, you really are the romantic one. I just figured you'd be first."

A beat of silence before Eddie flopped over onto the bed and rested his hands on his chest. "Me too," he mumbled. The admission was so quiet that Fabian barely heard it. Smiling softly, he patted his friend on the shoulder and sat down on the side of the bed.

They sat there in silence, travel brochure forgotten.

Patricia wasn't the only one imagining her wedding.

* * *

"I'm exhausted," Patricia announced, dumping her bag on the floor and collapsing onto the bed. Eddie grunted from his place at the desk, gaze focused on his computer screen. "Put that away," she whined. "Tell me about your boys day out instead."

"Oh it was no big deal," Eddie said casually, obediently closing his laptop. "We just hung out. You know...whatever."

"You had all these plans though," Patricia protested. "Leaves and walks and nature or whatever."

"I see someone really likes the outside world," Eddie said sarcastically. Patricia threw a pillow at his head which Eddie caught with a small smile. "And yeah I still want to do those things. But tomorrow. With you. And then Sunday is the big day, and we head back home."

"Sounds like a plan," Patricia murmured. "So um. It's getting late..."

Eddie hopped off his chair with a nod. "Good thing the bed is so bed," he commented, carefully removing his things off of it and motioning for Patricia to get comfortable. "I'm probably going to take a shower but you look tired, so good night in advance."

Somehow, things were awkward. Sharing a bed in their respective apartments should be more intimate than a hotel room, but for whatever reason, the setting was kind of daunting. Tension hung over the couple thick and heavy, and Patricia couldn't take it anymore.

"Wait!" she cried. "Um...can we talk before you go shower?" Eddie answered by sitting on the edge of the bed and waiting for Patricia to continue. She played with the ends of the comforter and kept her gaze trained on the sheets. "Today, the clerk thought we were _married._ And later Mara commented on what a cute couple we were. She uh...asked when _our _wedding was."

"We're good together," Eddie smiled faintly. "People saying stuff like that is good, not bad. We've only been dating a few months. I'm not going to force a ring on you anytime soon," he assured her.

"Good," Patricia muttered in relief. Realizing her words, she blushed. "Not that I wouldn't want to marry you! I just - " she sighed when she realized Eddie was laughing. "Whatever, you know what I mean!" Giggling reluctantly, she sobered a moment later. "But you're right. It _has _been a few months. And we haven't really _done _anything yet."

"We've done _plenty _of things," Eddie winked.

"Not..._it."_

Eddie snorted. "Oh god. Please don't tell me you're headed where I think you're headed." Patricia blushed and Eddie grinned. "Patricia!" he admonished. "We're twenty five. You can say the word _sex." _Patricia squealed and Eddie roared with laughter. "It's not that awkward!"

"IT'S SO AWKWARD!" Patricia wailed, putting a pillow to her face and flopping over.

"It's not," Eddie leaned over and snatched the pillow away. "I won't push you into doing anything you don't want to. You know that, right?"

"It's not that. I _want _to," Patricia said. She sounded so miserable that Eddie couldn't help but laugh harder.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said slowly. "If you're tired, you'll fall asleep and then I'll come and snuggle you and that will be that. But if you decide you have a little more _energy, _then..." he trailed off and with one final wink and headed for the shower. "Be back in a bit."

Patricia bit her lip and snatched up the pillow once more. "Ohmigod. I think I'm going to have sex with Eddie Sweet," she spoke to the pillow as though it could hear. Sighing, she collapsed onto the bed and lay there, wide awake.

And when Eddie emerged from the bathroom and saw a conscious and alert Patricia, he smiled. "Don't worry," he whispered, joining her on the bed. "This will be good. I promise."

* * *

**A/N: **And then they have sex and live happily ever after! The end. Just kidding. But really, I won't be writing smut. Like I said before, it's just not for me. I'll probably refer to their little night of passion in the next chapter just to tie up any loose ends. But yeah, that was their little sex talk! It's funny because Patricia wants to go all the way but is embarrassed to say so and isn't used to gentleman Eddie not mentioning it first and all of a sudden they're in a hotel room at a wedding and she's all...oh no, I want him.

And the good news is she can have him! Silly Patricia and her silly worries!

OH and I stuck Mara in there just for fun. I'd have made Amber the maid of honor but I already made her Patricia's friend so I can't exactly change that. Go with the flow and enjoy the guest appearance!

Next up: the day of the wedding and a dash of drama.

I think the chapter will be a little shorter than usual but it _should _be fairly eventful so hopefully that makes up for it.

Hope you liked this chapter - please review :)


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **All the love! We surpassed 150 reviews which is a mark I didn't even expect to reach by the end of this fic, so thanks so much for that! This chapter isn't too wordy but that's all right since it's super eventful. Happy reading :)

**Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Patricia woke up with her arms wrapped around Eddie's torso, legs tangled with his underneath the blankets. Remembering last night caused her face to turn a bright shade of red. (As usual. She spent most of her time blushing, no exaggeration.) Glancing down, she sighed in relief. Right. They had put on clothes afterwards. Otherwise this could be really awkward. Not that it still wouldn't be...

She carefully leaned on one elbow, trying to see Eddie's face. He was sort of on his side, face half buried into one of the extra pillows. Peeking over his shoulder, she smiled with relief. Hair mussed and eyes squeezed shut, he was still asleep. She had a little more time to process what had happened.

Snuggling back into Eddie's side without disturbing him, Patricia sighed with content. Last night had been...amazing. No wonder romance books and chick flicks kept selling. Cliched they might be, but they were borne from _truth. _And the truth was that sex with someone you loved was incredible. At this revelation, Patricia frowned.

Eddie had never told her he loved her. He had sort of come close to it a few weeks ago but he hadn't said it. But then again, neither had Patricia. She didn't feel regret...last night was too good for that to be the case. But she was kind of worried. Shouldn't those words have been said _before _they got together like that?

Dispelling all negative thought, Patricia focused on the beautiful man before her. (That's right. She admitted it. Eddie was too good-looking for his own good.) She had seen him asleep before, of course. But somehow...it seemed different now. She briefly wondered if staring at someone while they slept was creepy...but nah. Eddie was her boyfriend! She was totally allowed.

He was breathing deeply, still completely asleep. She cautiously extended one hand and smoothed his hair, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Eddie mumbled happily and rolled over, reluctantly cracking one eye open. "Hi."

"I didn't mean to wake you up," Patricia whispered.

"Nah, it's okay," Eddie smiled at her sleepily, raising himself up high enough until his lips met hers. "Hmm. So about last night..."

"Famous last words," Patricia joked, throwing a pillow at his face, effectively lightening the mood.

"I was just going to say it was amazing!" Eddie protested with a laugh. Patricia beamed, immensely pleased. "Oh and one more thing?" She looked up expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "It occurred to me that I didn't say the most important thing...I love you."

"You do?" she demanded. Relief and joy coursed through her veins, but she had to be sure.

"Of course I do!" Eddie replied dumbly. "Or I wouldn't have done what I did last night. I told you, I'm a little old-fashioned."

"Something I would have never believed," Patricia teased.

"Whatever," Eddie grumbled. Frowning, he looked at her, nervous and hesitant. "Um. There isn't anything you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh!" In Patricia's insecurities over how Eddie felt about her, she had forgotten that he might have the same concerns. "I love you too."

"That's so much fun to say!" Eddie exclaimed with glee. "Patricia. Guess what?"

"What?"

"_I love you."_

Patricia giggled and nodded. "I love you too."

"Oh my god. I'm not over it," Eddie said. "Knock Knock."

"You have _got _to be kidding me."

"I _said, _knock knock."

Rolling her eyes, Patricia complied. "Who's there?"

"Eddie."

"Eddie who?"

"Eddie as in the one that loves you!"

"That's going to get old real fast, as sweet as it is," Patricia said, getting out of bed and linking her arms over her head to stretch.

"I love youuuu," Eddie bellowed.

"Okay, I get it!"

"Say it back!"

"I love you too," Patricia said obediently, absurdly pleased. "Now go take a shower! Today is the big day, we have to be ready soon."

Eddie nodded, rolling out of bed. "You should really be the one to go first since girls take longer," he said.

"Not this one," Patricia announced.

"Right," Eddie sighed. "You're always the opposite of the expected. Okay, see you in a bit," he disappeared into the bedroom and just a few moments Patricia heard the shower running.

Patricia settled onto the leather backed chair provided by the hotel and rolled back and forth, deep in thought. Eddie's best friend was getting _married. _It had her thinking about marriage too. Allowing herself to dream, Patricia thought about what being married would be like. What being married to _Eddie _would be like.

He would rise through the ranks of his job and become some big shot editor. Or better yet, his dreams of writing would come true and he would quit and begin writing full time. She would do well on her LSATS and hopefully find a job in the city she loved. They would move into a bigger apartment. She had never been big on little children, but she had never imagined herself big on romance either and look at her now. So maybe a baby was possible...

"Woah," Patricia breathed, snapping back into the present. She was getting _way _ahead of herself. If she voiced any of these dreams to Eddie, she would scare him away for sure. And that was the last thing she wanted. Now that love had finally entered her life...she never wanted to let it go. She couldn't go back to the emptiness. And knowing what love felt like and then having it ripped away...she wouldn't be able to survive that. "So no scaring him," she muttered to herself.

"Scaring who?" Eddie emerged from the shower, shirtless and with wet hair. (He was thankfully wearing pants.) "Me? You couldn't scare me if you tried!"

"I absolutely could," Patricia replied smugly, grabbing her towel and heading for the bathroom. "Be out soon," she called over her shoulder.

About fifteen minutes later, Patricia was freshly showered and digging through her suitcase for her dress. Eddie had politely given her space, flopping back onto the bed and power napping.

Once she was clothed, Patricia frowned thoughtfully. She still needed her makeup and it wasn't in her suitcase. She remembered taking the case out and leaving it on the table but it wasn't there anymore. That was strange.

"Eddie?" Patricia faltered when she realized her boyfriend had kind of fallen back asleep, in his suit and everything. He was obviously just dozing, but she didn't have the heart to disturb him. Not bothering to call him again, she opened the drawers of the table, looking for her makeup bag.

There it was! It was resting on a notebook...labeled "PW." As in Patricia Williamson? She knew she shouldn't but she was nearly positive that it had something to do with her. Why else would it be labeled as such? She opened the notebook and began to skim.

_"I rarely break down like this, it makes me feel so weak. My mom has been bugging me all week to visit her and I don't really like visiting my parents, it reminds me of an unhappy time. She was pushing hard and she told me I don't care and that I'm not making the effort and how I should put family first. And coming from her...the audacity...I just... I don't know..."_

Patricia's immediate reaction was admiration. Eddie was more observant than she had ever given him credit for; his memory was startlingly perfect. He remembered that conversation word for word. Flipping through the notebook she let out a small gasp. He remembered _all _of their conversations word for word. Or at least he _had _the day they happened. And then he had gone home and written it down.

But why?

And suddenly, it all made sense. And suddenly, she was no longer impressed.

_She _was Eddie's project. He was writing about _her. _He had been writing her from the very beginning, she realized. So had this all been a game? Had he been using her? Unbelievable.

The answer was simple.

_Of course,_ he had been. No one could be trusted after all. How could she for even one second think that Eddie might be different?

How many times had Eddie talked about writing a book being his dream? He _wanted _that. So badly, that he was willing to sell her story. To _use _her. And that's exactly what he had done. He had never really cared about her. It had all been a twisted lie.

She stalked over to Eddie and roughly shook his sleeping form, throwing the notebook in his face.

"Ow!" he complained. "Why so rough?" Opening his eyes, Eddie looked down at the notebook and back at Patricia's murderous face and groaned. "Okay. Let's talk about this..."

"I don't think there's anything to talk about," she hissed. "So I moved in next door and you figured you could use me as some kind of writing experiment and follow me around and see if there was a good story in me? And then when you realized I was some poor tortured soul you dubbed it literary gold and _pursued _me because you were _that _desperate to become a writer?"

"It's not like that," Eddie immediately countered. "No, of course not! And you should be flattered, not upset!"

"Flattered that you chose to betray me?" Patricia demanded, her face a picture of perfect rage. "Well excuse me for not feeling like that! What you did was terrible. This whole time I thought you were helping me grow as a person. I thought you understood me, _cared _about me. But _really, _you're just interested in your stupid book. You've been writing about me without my permission this whole time! You must have known how I would feel about something like this," she accused. "You _know _I'm different!"

Suddenly, Eddie remembered all the times Nina had warned him this would happen. The truth was, no, he hadn't imagined Patricia would react like this. She wasn't even supposed to find the notebook, he was going to tell her himself!

"I wasn't writing from the beginning," he said desperately. "Really, I swear."

"I'm expected to believe your memory is _that _good?"

Patricia's tone was filled with skepticism and distrust and Eddie could feel his stomach sinking and his chest thudding with a strange kind of ache; maybe this is what heartbreak felt like.

"Yes," he said pleadingly. "I've been interested in you from the very beginning so I remember _everything,_" he promised. "I only started writing about you a few weeks ago, I swear And I was going to tell you!"

"When?" she demanded. "After it got published? I can't believe you did this! Didn't I give you enough material? Did you have to keep up the charade? Did you have to date me? Have sex with me? Lie and tell me you _loved _me?"

"It wasn't a charade and it wasn't a lie!" Eddie was growing more desperate. Patricia was being dramatic and ridiculous, but Nina had been right all along; he should have known she would react like this. As far as Patricia had come, she was still vulnerable and easily hurt. She was still learning how to to trust.

"Save it. We're done. We're over. Well...we never really even were. Don't talk to me again." Patricia hissed, stalking out of the room.

"I love you though," Eddie said desperately. It was his last defense. He rose to follow her but she slammed the door resoundingly in his face, heading for the elevators.

"Don't follow me. I don't love you back," she spat from the other side of the door.

Completely confused, Eddie sank to the ground, resting his back against the bed. _What _had just happened? _How _had it happened? They had been _so _happy, so in love. And now everything seemed so hopeless.

Patricia didn't want to talk to him. She had broken up with him. Even worse, she suddenly thought they had never even been together. But that wasn't true. He hadn't been using her...at least he hadn't _meant _to use her.

But the worst part was the harsh words...she had said she didn't _love _him.

And that hurt the worst.

Burying his face in his hands, Eddie took a deep breath and tried to still the pain.

It didn't work.

And so he didn't have a choice.

For the second time, Eddie got up and ran after Patricia. He couldn't let her go. Not like this.

* * *

**A/N: **OH NO ALL THE DRAMA. AND RIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING**. **Poor Eddie is always chasing after melodramatic Patricia. I think there are definitely two sides to the situation though. Personally, I think Patricia overreacted and _should _have been flattered that Eddie had chosen to write about her. I think she's allowed to be upset, but she shouldn't have freaked out so much and jumped to all kinds of wild conclusions. On the other hand, Eddie should have kept her rough past and upbringing in mind and should have asked her permission to write about her. Just because he _knows _that she can be a tad delicate.

But now Patricia thinks that Eddie was using her the whole time for his own selfish gain and Eddie is just confused and heartbroken because he's an oblivious young man who wasn't perceptive enough to realize this would happen. Should have listened to Nina!

That's all for now though...we'll see if the two lovers can work it out. Please tell me what you think :) Liking the drama? Against the drama? I'm curious!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Oh awkward. I was so excited to put a twist in the story that I forgot most people wouldn't exactly _like _seeing Patricia and Eddie fight. But that's ok! Keep reading and I promise to fix it soon. Thanks for all the comments - there were some extra sweet ones and I absolutely know who you are; your words kind words are super appreciated!

**Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Patricia slipped into one of the elevators just as it was closing and kept her gaze trained on the floor. After all, she had never gotten to put her makeup on and the fact that she was crying wasn't exactly helping her look. A mother and daughter were the only other ones in the elevator, but sensing Patricia's discomfort and anguish, the woman didn't greet her.

The little girl was different though. "I like your dress!" she informed Patricia with cheerful abandon. "You look like a princess!"

Reluctantly looking up, Patricia smiled weakly; small but genuine. "Thanks," she murmured.

The child bobbed her head up and down in acknowledgement and stepped off the elevator, clinging to her mother's hand. "You shouldn't cry though! Princesses are too pretty to cry. You'll look nicer if you smile. Like this!" Widening her smile with her little fingers, the little girl beamed proudly. Her mother gently prodded her to move forward and shot Patricia an apologetic smile, hustling her daughter into lobby.

Despite everything, Patricia let out a small laugh. That girl had been cute. Scanning the lobby, Patricia frowned. She didn't want to be around too many people, so she spun around and exited the hotel through a side door that lead to a small courtyard. She sat on a bench located in a quaint gazebo and let her tears continue to fall.

She felt anger but mostly, she felt regret. As mad as she was at Eddie, she hadn't meant those cruel words. If she didn't love him, it wouldn't hurt like this. But she _did _love him so naturally, the pain was unbearable. He didn't love her though. Otherwise he wouldn't have done what he did.

Right?

Wiping her eyes, Patricia paused and tried to think of it from Eddie's point of view. His partings words _had _been a desperate "I love you" but like everything else, that might have been a lie. Or was it? She shook her head, thoroughly confused. No, _she _was the angry one. It was his fault. All of it.

Except a tiny part of her mind knew that wasn't true. Eddie had been _real, _and more importantly, he had been _hers. _Had been. With a shudder, Patricia wondered if they were really over. She had _said _they were, but she could be irrational. The romantic in her was hoping...no _praying, _that Eddie would come find her and make this mess disappear.

She shivered. It was cold out here and the October air was beginning to make its presence known, but returning to the hotel room wasn't an option. Not until she was sure Eddie had left for the wedding.

Lost in thought, Patricia continued to mull over the situation. She knew this much: she didn't want to break up with Eddie and she still loved him. But was it too late? She had already voiced the opposite opinion on both things. She had been _terrible _to him, leaving him in her fit of rage. But at the same time, she couldn't pretend that none of this hadn't happened.

Love or no love, Eddie had betrayed her trust. _Maybe, _she was overreacting but she couldn't help her feelings! For the first time in her life, she had opened up to someone and risked it all, and she hadn't expected this to happen. That notebook contained her deepest secrets. Some of the things he had written...it was information only he knew! She hadn't told a _soul _except for Eddie and he had so willingly penned her most personal secrets. He was going to _sell _that. Sure, he'd change the names and flip around some details, but how was that any better?

Now instead of being Patricia's pure story, it would be some distorted, contorted version that vaguely resembled her life. It was a lie within a lie. Confused and overwhelmed, her head began to spin. So she did the only thing she could do.

She bowed her head and sobbed harder.

* * *

Eddie darted through the lobby, anxiously scanning the area for signs of Patricia. Growling in frustration, he nearly ran into the same woman and little girl Patricia had encountered.

"Mommy, look! The princess has a matching _prince_. Best vacation ever!"

"There's a wedding happening this weekend, sweetheart," her mother explained patiently. "There are _lots _of princes and princess wandering about."

Eddie nodded in agreement, smiling gratefully at the woman, yet still on edge. "So you said you saw a princess?" He dropped to one knee and gazed into the little girl's eager blue eyes. "Did you see where she went?"

"That way! To the pretty garden, duh," the little girl said. "Tell her I said hi!"

"I will. Thanks...?"

"Emma!" the girl chirped.

"Thanks Emma," Eddie smiled warmly, getting up to the shake Emma's mother's hand.

"Good luck," the woman murmured, her voice full of understanding.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Eddie headed for the garden. He had no idea what he was going to say, or how he was going to fix it but there _had _to be a way. He didn't know what he would do if there wasn't.

"Patricia," he sighed in relief when he saw her sitting forlorn, on a bench outside. His sense of relief was immediately replaced with an aching pain that stabbed his gut. "You have _got _to stop scaring me like that," he couldn't stop himself from scolding.

"At least I'm not on the fire escape this time," she retorted tearily, her characteristic sarcasm flying out of her mouth before she could stop it. _How _did Eddie do that? Every time Patricia was determined to ignore him, Eddie had a way of making her talk.

"Listen...can we talk?" Eddie sounded tentative, and wary. "We've worked too hard for this. We can't just throw away an entire relationship because we had one fight."

"We never had a relationship," Patricia countered. "Relationships are based on _trust, _and you _lied. _Hence no real relationship," she hissed.

"Not true," Eddie said gently, dropping beside her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was writing about you. I know I should have. I honestly didn't think it would bother you...I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did," he hung his head in dismay before picking it up and looking at Patricia in earnest. "But you _have _to know, I didn't lie! I didn't _mean _to at least. Nothing was a lie. I didn't go after you _just _to write. I mean, yes, at first the whole new neighbor thing was really appealing and I was looking for inspiration.

"But as I got to know you better, it became so much more than that. I swear I've been concentrating on being your friend and hopefully more. I didn't even start writing until we got uh..particularly close," Eddie phrased delicately, finishing his little monologue. "I know you said you don't love me...and maybe I'm being a little daring but...I don't believe that's true..." he trailed off. "Feel free to say something. Or Anything. Anytime." Eddie let out a nervous laugh and ran a hand through his already messy hair._  
_

Patricia pondered Eddie's words. He wasn't lying, she could tell. Sincerity oozed out of every last word coming from his mouth. And they were _adults, _as upset as se was, she couldn't sulk like an angry teenager.

"I love you too," she admitted reluctantly. "I didn't mean it when I said I didn't. I know I overreacted but...I can't help the way I feel. Even if I understand your point of view," she muttered.

Eddie nodded slowly. What Patricia was saying wasn't perfect, but it was more than what he had hoped for. She had made more progress than she could even realize. The old Patricia would have never laid her feelings out on the line for everyone to see. The old Patricia wouldn't have been this honest for fear of being hurt. But now she was opening up to him, even if what she was saying wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"That's fair," he said. "We both love each other. You're just mad. That doesn't sound too bad right? When things calm down we can talk it out...things can be salvaged...? he sounded hopeful.

"I don't know," Patricia whispered honestly. "I don't know if we can fix this. And I don't know if I want to. I'm just _really _confused right now, and I _know _it sounds stupid, but this whole book thing is bothering me _a lot _and I can't help but feel betrayed. And I'm not over it. I don't know if I can be."

"Oh okay," Eddie replied, his chest literally aching. "Um, well. This is my best friend's wedding and I know you're my date but this whole uh...situation _changes _things so I don't expect you to say. You can leave any time you want and I guess...we can talk when we're both back in the city or something."

Patricia wiped her eyes dry, considering Eddie's offer. It was sweet of him to offer; it would be _so _easy for her to just go back home and forget about this whole drama. But then she thought of Eddie standing alone and without a plus one, having to explain why his date that everyone had already met, had suddenly disappeared. Despite everything, he didn't deserve to be humiliated like that. And Patricia knew it was wrong to reject Fabian and Nina's kindness. They had invited her without even knowing her. So with that all in mind...

"I'll stay," she found herself staying.

Eddie looked up in surprise. "You really don't have to. I know it could get potentially awkward and I know I'm the last person you want to hang out with right now..."

"No, it's okay," she shrugged. "This is something I have to do. I just need to go back to the room and get..." Patricia faltered mid sentence, when Eddie pulled the makeup bag from behind his back. He silently handed it to her, small mirror and everything.

"You can do that out here and we can leave directly," Eddie suggested, pulling a comb out of his pocket and fixing his hair. Straightening his tie, he cleared his throat and stood to a side, giving Patricia her space.

Subdued but still touched that Eddie had thought to bring the little object whose location had inadvertently caused the couple so much trouble, Patricia frowned and began to apply her makeup.

After all, she had a wedding to go to and she had to look nice.

* * *

"By the authority vested in me by the State of New York, I pronounce you husband and wife," The priest said grandly, with a gentle smile. Nodding towards Fabian, he continued. "You may now kiss the bride."

Everyone clapped. The focus was on Fabian and Nina, but Patricia found herself looking at Eddie. He looked so proud and so pleased, his smile and bright and cheerful for his two dear friends. For the time being, he had forgotten about his own mess of a love life.

Patricia found herself smiling faintly too. Despite everything, she was happy for Fabian and Nina, the two wonderful people she hardly even know, but somehow had grown to care for in just a few short meetings. She wanted what they had. She wanted it with _Eddie._

Eventually, Patricia and Eddie's eyes met, and he offered her his hand to guide her out of the church. They walked out in silence together, following the crowd. Everyone was heading to the reception.

There was so much to be said, so much to be discussed and analyzed between them. There was so much _fix _in order to make this relationship okay again. Patricia had expected Eddie to babble the entire afternoon, but surprisingly, he had remained silent, giving Patricia her space. Not once had he brought up their relationship.

They walked awkwardly, attempting to smile and put on a show for everyone, but they weren't doing so hot. Finally, Patricia closed the distance between them, and reached for Eddie's hand. He took it willingly, and nodded gratefully. Just their proximity to one another made things seem better. They didn't want to attract attention to themselves. The awkwardness was meant to stay between them.

And just as they reached the reception hall, Patricia surprised even herself, by giving Eddie's hand a small squeeze.

Nothing was okay yet. But through that little gesture, she had proved that there was still hope.

And both of them were clinging to that like a lifeline.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay things are a little better now! I usually edit chapters two or three times but I was so eager to get this up that I only skimmed through it once; sorry if there are more errors than usual. Please review - I absolutely adore hearing from you :)


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Thank you for all the generous reviews! They are probably the reason I slipped back into the habit of posting twice a week. However, that means that this fic should be complete exactly one week from now provided I continue to update on time. I'm going to miss it :(

**Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Once inside the reception area, Patricia released Eddie's hand. He looked at her questioningly, and she nodded her head towards all the guests streaming inside the hall. As Fabian's best friend, it was only natural for Eddie to be familiar with most of the guests.

"I don't want to leave you alone," Eddie immediately responded. Normally, he would have grabbed her hand again or even inched closer. But of course, things were different now. He respectfully kept his distance though he didn't bother to hide his frown.

"I _want_ to be left alone though," Patricia murmured. Eddie was looking at her with so much worry and concern that even though she hadn't intended to, she gave him an explanation. "I don't know anyone here, and I'd rather not spend the rest of the night on your arm." She felt a stab of guilt as Eddie winced and nodded his head slowly, as though it her statement had pained him. Maybe it had. "There's a beautiful garden outside. Even better than the one at the hotel. I think I'll go look around."

"Sure," Eddie replied reluctantly. "I can come check on you every once in a while, I - "

"Don't," Patricia firmly cut him off. Eddie looked so lost and forlorn, that she couldn't _help _but assure him. "I just need more time," she added hastily. And even though she had meant to stay mad at Eddie for _much _longer, she couldn't help but smile weakly at the hopeful expression that graced Eddie's face. Apparently, love had made her weak, because it took every last ounce of self-restraint to stop herself from flinging herself into Eddie's arm and assuring him that they would be all right.

With one last wave, Eddie walked further into the ballroom, while Patricia exited it all together. Eddie was feeling kind of down; he had hoped that Patricia would stick around and the way she had grabbed his hand earlier had given him the impression that she would. But he wasn't losing hope. Patricia wasn't angry anymore, he could just tell. She _was _still hurt though.

Every time he thought about hear tearstained face or harsh words caused by her feelings of hurt and betrayal, his stomach dropped. _He _had caused all that hurt; even though he hadn't meant to. Eddie was beginning to regret ever looking for inspiration in the wrong place and writing that book. Sure, it was good work. Probably his absolute best. But getting published wasn't worth losing Patricia's love.

He _loved _her and he had only gotten to say it for one morning before everything had gotten all messed up. He would turn back the clock if he could. All of this could have been avoided. Thoroughly depressed, Eddie headed for the bar.

Naturally, he was surprised when Fabian joined him one drink later. "How are you doing?" Fabian asked, accepting a glass of wine from the bartender.

"It's _your _wedding. I should be asking you," Eddie replied, sipping his drink miserably. "You have so many people to attend to. How did you even find me?"

"You're my best friend!" Fabian exclaimed. "I've been looking for you all evening. I figured you'd be at the head of the line to greet me and Nina, but when you weren't, I figured something was wrong so I went looking for you."

"I'm a terrible friend," Eddie practically wailed. "It's your wedding and you're worried _about _me."

Fabian grinned. "You always do get a little whiny when you drink," he said, removing the drink from Eddie's hand. "How many have you had?"

"Only two," Eddie sulked. "I'm not drunk."

"So I see. But that means..." Fabian trailed off, remembering the last time Eddie had thrown a fit like this. It was when he had thought he had embarrassed himself in front of Patricia. "You and Patricia are having problems?"

"She _hates _me," Eddie whispered.

In any other case, Eddie's wallowing would have been funny. But this was about a girl, a special one at that. Sighing deeply, Fabian patted his friend's back. "Tell me everything," he instructed.

One more drink later and the entire story had come out. "But anyway," Eddie muttered. "It's not important. People must be looking for you."

Fabian hopped off the stool in agreement and nodded. "Time moves slowly when you're in pain," he said sagely. "But realistically? It's only been ten minutes. I'm sure everyone is just enjoying the party, but yeah, I'll go find Nina. But Eddie, listen. You should know this is completely fixable. Patricia is just scared that you don't love her and you care more about your career, she feels used. But that's just insecurity, you can fix it."

"When did you get so smart?"

"I'm dating Nina," Fabian replied on instinct. His face broke out into a wide grin as he realized what he'd just said. "I _married _Nina," he corrected. "Just show Patricia that you care. Cute gestures and things like that. Girls love it and it will show you care, which I know you do. If you didn't, you wouldn't be sulking at a bar at a wedding."

"Your wedding," Eddie mused. "Congratulations again, Fabian. You guys are going to rock this whole marriage thing."

"The most eloquent wish I've received," Fabian joked.

"Whatever," Eddie smirked. "You two are perfect for each other, soul mates, blah blah blah, I don't have to say all that."

"Because it's cliched?"

"Because it's true and you already know it," Eddie grinned. "Now, if you'll excuse me. You have guests to attend to, I have a few more people to say hi to, and _then, _I have a girlfriend to attend to."

"You're not going to go right now?"

"She wanted space," Eddie admitted.

"It's good that you're respecting that," Fabian said encouragingly, before turning away to address someone who had tapped his shoulder. Eddie watched happily as his friend thanked the person who had congratulated him, beaming from ear to ear. He had never seen Fabian smile that much.

He was happy to see his friend so content. Smiling appreciatively, Eddie set his drink down and set about walking around the ballroom, hanging out with colleagues and meeting new people. A couple hours of polite chatter and socializing would hopefully count as giving Patricia enough space. Because he didn't want to leave her alone for a minute more than he had to.

* * *

Patricia had walked around the gardens for a while, but she had stopped the moment she realized how many couples had snuck out there to be alone. She didn't want to walk in onyet _another _couple making out near a bunch of scenic trees or anything. So, she had spread her shawl out on the ground, and sat on top of it, hidden behind some bushes.

It was sort of chilly, but she didn't want to risk getting grass stains on her dress, so she didn't move from her place on the shawl. Instead, she wrapped her arms around herself and looked up at the sky. It was interesting. They were so far away from city lights and pollution, that she could see the stars.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," Eddie's voice pulled Patricia away from her thoughts. He immediately shrugged out of his suit jacket; Patricia started to say no, but he cut her off before she could finish and draped it over her shoulders anyway. "I'm wearing a million layers and I'm warm, so really, you're doing me a favor," he assured her.

"Thanks," she mumbled, snuggling into the jacket. It was obviously too big for her, but that just made her feel warmer.

"I also..um...here..." Eddie handed her a plate of food and sat down beside her. "I know you haven't eaten since the morning and I figured you'd be hungry by now, so I brought this out for you," he explained, in response to Patricia's questioning look.

A quick glance at her cellphone old her that it was just past midnight. And Eddie was right; she hadn't eaten a thing for _hours_. Accepting the plate gratefully, she ate in silence. Eddie didn't say anything so neither did she. She simply concentrated on eating.

When she was done, Eddie opened his mouth to speak. "I'm _really _sorry about everything," he said regretfully. "You know that, right?"

"I know," she said. "I'm...I'm sorry too. For what I said. I still love you."

"I love you too," he replied full of earnest. "That's enough to fix things right?" He held his breath and waited. Earlier in the evening, Patricia had basically implied that it hadn't been enough. Maybe things had changed.

"It's enough," she whispered. Her confirmation made Eddie's heart soar. He hesitantly opened his arms for a hug and sighed in relief when Patricia scooted in closer into his arms. She didn't kiss him though. Just the hug. "We're going to have to talk though," she muttered into his shirt.

"We'll talk. We'll go slow. Anything you want," Eddie said eagerly. "There's going to be zero traffic riding home right now. I know we have the hotel room for one more night, but um..." the darkness kept the fact that both of them were blushing. It was going to be hard to stay in the same room where they had had sex, it was going to be hard enough just sharing a bed after all the drama of the morning. Patricia understood though. Eddie didn't need to explain much. "If we leave know, we can be in the city by two in the morning. You in your apartment and me in my mine. We can talk tomorrow. How does that sound?"

"You don't mind driving so late?"

"I love driving. It's not a problem," Eddie said. At this point, he would do literally anything to prove his love. "Let's go?" He clambered to his feet and offered Patricia hand. She accepted his help to stand up and surprisingly didn't let go as they made their way back to the car together.

Slowly, but surely, everything was going to be all right. Patricia had forgiven Eddie and that was more than enough for now.

* * *

Patricia awoke in her bed. Alone. Right? She rolled over and extended an arm, meeting the empty and cold side of the bed she _or _Eddie hasn't slept on. Right. She sat up, trying to remember how last night had ended. She hadn't touched alcohol, but she as just so _exhausted._

New York would be New York, and _of course, _there was a little traffic entering the city. So it had been nearly three by the time the car was parked and they were back in their respective apartments. Patricia touched her cheek curiously. She kind of remembered Eddie kissing her there but maybe it had been a dream.

Sighing deeply, she got up and headed for the bathroom. It was Monday morning and she had class at noon and work afterwards. It was only a half hour later that she was fully dressed and ready to head for the village. She opened her front door and stepped into the hall. She was about to walk forward when a flash of blue caught her eye. There was a sticky note on her door. The same shade of blue as the one on which Eddie had given Patricia his phone number literally months ago.

She couldn't help but smile. She peeled it off her door, immediately recognizing Eddie's untidy, loopy scrawl. Writer's handwriting, pretty much.

_I've found you beautiful since the first day we met. I always wanted to be with you._

Really? Patricia hadn't known that. She was so touched that she was willing to overlook the cheesiness of the gesture. It was sweet and well...it made her feel loved.

She briefly wondered how long the sticky note had been on her door. It was only eleven in the morning but Eddie worked pretty legitimate hours; he was usually up at seven and out the door within a half an hour. And they had arrived so late...she doubted he had even gotten four hours of sleep. She vaguely felt guilty. It would have been much easier for them to stay the night and head back in the afternoon as originally planned. Eddie had been planning on working from home Monday.

But evidently, he had gone in to work anyway, despite the complete lack of sleep. She could just tell. His newspaper had been retrieved and the doormat was slightly askew from him carelessly rushing outside.

Last night, Patricia had forgiven Eddie. She had assured Eddie that they could fix their relationship. Because if she was being honest, she desperately wanted to. She knew she had kind of overreacted. But she still needed time to think...and he had agreed to give her space. She had to admit, this was a clever way of talking to her without _talking _to her.

Patricia headed off to class with a smile on her face, determined to make it home in time to catch a glimpse of Eddie returning home from office. Normally, she wouldn't have to worry about it since they usually spent their evenings together, but she had basically made that impossible. She knew that if she asked Eddie to come over he _would, _but she still needed a little more time to regroup and think. That was best.

So she rushed into the elevator, not so coincidentally the same one as Eddie. He smiled in surprise. "You're here a little earlier than usual," he said.

Patricia didn't want to admit she had rushed all the way home just so she could see him. "Today was a slow day," she said instead. As she was stepping off the elevator, she turned to face him before twisting her key into the lock. "I got your note by the way. Um. It was...nice."

"Good," he commented with a slight smirk. "I'll see you around?"

"Definitely," she smiled at him genuinely, her eyes a little narrow.

Eddie was up to something.

* * *

Sure enough, the next day, there was another note on her door.

_You're hilarious. Your sense of humor and your sarcasm is unparalleled. You are one in a number far larger than a million ;)_

Patricia grinned, raising her eyebrow. Eddie was _such _a dork. But his words flowed. There was a perk in having a writer as a boyfriend. The notes continued for the rest of the week. She found herself looking forward to Eddie's sweet compliments. He hadn't approached her once, and they scarcely saw each other throughout the week since their schedules sort of conflicted.

She knew it must be kind of hard for Eddie to maintain his distance, but he was doing a brilliant job. And the notes made her day. She had a feeling writing them made his.

_You're fantastic at what you study. You win every argument, you debate really well._

_Your laugh is cute. The fact that you're not afraid to laugh at unconventional things is even cuter._

_You're the best kisser in the world._

_You're nearly as cuddly as me! Never thought I'd meet someone who could keep up._

Patricia emerged from her apartment Sunday morning, looking forward to her note. Out of habit, her hand reached to pull a sticky note off her door. She frowned her hand when she was met with nothing.

There was no note on her door.

Was Eddie not awake yet? Sure, it was a Sunday, but that was actually Eddie's busiest day in terms of getting through his paper and then his own personal writing. Out of habit, he was an early riser. There was _no _way he was still sleeping on noon on a Sunday.

Had he run out of nice things to say so soon? Had he decided to give up on her? Had she waited too long to approach him?

It _was _her move after all. She _had _asked for space.

Thoroughly confused and downcast at the fact that there was no note on her door, Patricia took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she was about to do. She had done _enough _thinking in the last week. It was time to talk to Eddie and make things officially right.

Unlike the times when they had first met, Patricia firmly knocked on Eddie's door and waited.

Yes, she had a spare key, but she wasn't going to abuse that freedom.

There _was _a chance that Eddie didn't want to be with her anymore. Or that he had given up. It could be too late.

There was no note on her door after all.

Impatiently, Patricia knocked on more time. She was nervous and breathless all at the same time and she _really _hoped that Eddie still wanted her.

Because it was time to fix things.

* * *

**A/N: **That was my pathetic attempt at a cliffhanger?! I'll get better at that. Please tell me what you think! See you next time :)


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **So this is it! Welcome to the final chapter of "Destination Trust" - it's been a crazy ride! There will of course be an epilogue later this week but basically, things are all wrapped up. I hope this story played out to everyone's satisfaction. This was my first chaptered story and there was a lot of experimentation involved. Of course, next chapter there will be a never-ending author's note full of everlasting thanks so get ready for some serious rambling from me. But until then, happy reading! Thanks for everything :)

**Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

Patricia stood there and waited a few moments more. Of course it _was_ possible that Eddie wasn't home. But after a couple of months of dating him, she knew his Sunday morning ritual by heart. And generally speaking, Eddie didn't leave the house till after he completed everything, which would be around lunch time.

Eddie's weekend alarm was set for seven, but he'd lounge in bed till eight, half awake. That was something about Eddie that had surprised Patricia. He was an early riser, even when he didn't have to be. After eight, he would drag himself out of bed and make some coffee and then read the paper. He would eat breakfast, shower, and then sit in his little office area and write for a couple hours, lunch being the reward for progress. Unlike most men Patricia knew, Eddie did _not _sleep in.

So then why wasn't he opening the door?

Losing her patience, Patricia reached for his spare key from her purse. She hadn't been _planning _on using it since she was the one who had asked for space, but she was getting desperate. While it was possible that Eddie might have deviated from his normal routine, Patricia had a feeling he was home.

She entered his apartment and looked around curiously. Nothing _seemed _to be out of order and everything was neatly organized. (She had eventually gotten used to the fact that unlike most men, Eddie was a neat person. It was surprising since he didn't seem like he would be.) With a frown, Patricia continued until she reached the master bedroom.

The door was open, but the blinds were still closed. The bed wasn't made either. In fact...the comforter was balled up in a strange fashion. Patricia paused. Wait a second...was Eddie _underneath _the mess of blankets?

A little worried, she rushed forward and pushed the comforter aside. Eddie was indeed laying under them, curled up in a way he didn't usually sleep. He looked agitated, even in his sleep, so unlike the peaceful expression he normally wore. His head was resting on one pillow, his arms wrapped around the other. He was clutching it tightly and wheezing ever so slightly as he continued to sleep on in discomfort.

Patricia pressed a hand to his forehead and winced. He was burning up, his t-shirt soaked with sweat, skin clammy and pale. "Eddie," she whispered, rubbing his shoulder, trying to rouse him. Eddie moaned and buried his face deeper in the pillow, ignoring her. "Eddie!" she called a little louder this time.

Finally, he cracked one eye open and groaned. Upon seeing it was Patricia though, he immediately tried to sit up, nearly falling off the bed in the process. "Oh," he breathed in surprise as Patricia reached out to steady him and keep him from tumbling down. "Dizzy," he mumbled.

"You look terrible," Patricia observed, her gaze full of sympathy and concern.

"Brilliant observation," Eddie managed, concentrating on breathing. He suddenly groaned and clutched at his stomach, wincing.

"Let me help you," Patricia helped Eddie stand and guided him to the bathroom. She had come here to talk to him and make things okay, but his health came first. "How long have you been sick? You should have said something!"

"We weren't exactly speaking," he reminded her, wrenching the bathroom door open and sinking to his knees in front of the toilet. He proceeded to throw up,heaving in front of the bowl for a good couple of minutes. He finally stood wearily, and immediately moved to the sink to rinse his mouth and brush his teeth. "I feel so sick that I don't even care that you saw that," he muttered.

"We help each other," Patricia countered. "It doesn't matter that I saw," she hovered anxiously, wondering what she could do to help. The moment Eddie was done brushing, she guided him to the chair.

"I want to lie down," he protested.

"In a moment." Patricia darted to Eddie's closet and pulled out fresh sheets, changing the bed in a total of a minute or two. She then returned to Eddie's side and helped him get back to the bed, where he promptly collapsed, exhausted and sick.

"It's a stomach virus by the way," he said, his voice muffled into the pillow. "I've been sick all night. I've lost count of how many times I threw up," he admitted with a disgusted scowl.

Patricia nodded sympathetically and reached over to peel off Eddie's dirty t-shirt, pulling a fresh one over his head before joining him on the other side of the bed. Eddie rolled over so he was facing her, not bothering to hide his surprise.

"You're staying?" His voice was quiet, but intent.

"That's the plan," Patricia whispered back. Silence engulfed upon them and Eddie had to bite back a smile, knowing Patricia wouldn't appreciate it. "Okay, fine! Smile, laugh, whatever. You are allowed to express your happiness," she huffed.

Eddie grinned, relieved, but most of all _happy. _"You are so generous," he teased weakly, one had protectively covering his abdomen.

"I'm _sorry _is what I am," Patricia corrected. "Really sorry," she hung her head, slightly shamed at her dramatics.

"I'm sorry too," Eddie immediately replied, too content to give her a difficult time.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with whispered apologies and sweet words. When Eddie eventually grew tired, still exhausted and sick, he fell asleep with Patricia's arms wrapped around his middle.

Everything was going to be just fine.

* * *

As soon as Eddie felt better, Patricia and Eddie had talked things through. Eddie had apologized for writing without Patricia's permission and for ignoring his gut feeling; some part of him had known she wouldn't like being written about. Patricia apologized for overreacting for putting them through the toughest couple of days either of them had experienced. Eddie assured Patricia that he hadn't been using her and that he loved her with his entire heart, and Patricia took back all of her hurtful words and returned Eddie's declaration of love...repeatedly to make up for saying that she didn't.

A few tentative days of being together turned into weeks of successfully being a couple once more. Weeks turned into months, and spring rolled around. Patricia and Eddie had successfully resumed their old rhythm of being together. They were better this time around having learned from their falling out at Fabian and Nina's wedding.

It didn't make sense for either of them to give up their apartment since both of them made enough money to easily pay their bills. But half of Patricia's dresser contained Eddie's belongings and vice versa. Unconventionally, they had _both _moved in to each other's homes. Some nights were spent at Patricia's place, and some were spent at Eddie's. Since both apartments were separated by the distance of five or so feet, they treated their apartments like one big house. They darted between flats and spent time in both, equally. It wasn't a permanent arrangement but it was certainly ideal, at least for now.

After a long and deep heart to heart, Patricia had agreed to let Eddie continuing his book. He, of course, had offered to shelve the whole project. He loved Patricia _so _much, that he was willing to sacrifice his progress. Best work or not, he wouldn't use it if she didn't want him to. There would be other inspiration. Patricia had explained that she was just insecure and now she believed in their love, she was okay with him using her as inspiration. Honored, even.

So Eddie continued with the project. He was sort of quiet about his work. Not secretive, but quiet. If Patricia asked for an update, he readily offered one, but she sensed that he preferred to finish work before sharing, so she never pushed him.

They understood each other in the most beautiful of ways.

* * *

"I got our mail," Patricia announced, entering her apartment with a cheerful wave. "What happened to meeting in your kitchen, loser? I went there first."

"Yeah about that..." Eddie looked up from a bowl of soup he was having with an innocent smile. "Your kitchen had food and mine didn't so change of plans!"

"Way to inform me," Patricia grumbled. "I hope you at least saved me some!"

"Of course. On the stove," Eddie said sweetly, reaching for his spoon again. "Oh, by the way, did you get my mail too?"

"I said ours didn't I?"

"Which pile is mine?"

"I mixed them up," Patricia admitted. "How does it matter? I get half of your mail on accident anyway."

"Good point," Eddie reached for the pile and sorted it into two separate piles, reaching for his and shifting through it. "Oh," Eddie said thoughtfully. "This is from a contest sponsored by _The New York Times _I entered ages ago. You think they would send rejection letters more promptly."

"Doofus. Did it ever occur to you that maybe you won?" Patricia hopped on the kitchen counter, casually sipping her soup.

"It's their biggest competition," Eddie explained. "The chances of me winning are slim to none. The winners are _incredibly _talented." And with that, Eddie tossed the letter aside. Without opening.

"What...are you kidding me?" Patricia immediately reached for the envelope. "You're talented too! You should at least open it."

"Nah."

"Fine. I'll do it." Patricia set down her soup and tore the envelope open, silently reading the content. Eddie didn't say anything, but he _was _watching her face carefully, looking for a clue.

Good thing Patricia had an excellent poker face.

"Well?" Eddie finally said.

"I thought you said you didn't care," Patricia pointed out.

"I don't."

"Well you should. Because you won!" Patricia squealed.

"What? Not a funny joke, Patricia! Boundries!"

"I'm not joking!"

"Let me see!" Eddie got up, abandoning his soup, and hovering about Patricia's shoulder, trying to see the letter. He snatched it from her hands and scanned it quickly. "Oh my god, you weren't lying! I won!"

"Way to doubt me and not trust me," Patricia scoffed.

"I learned from the best," Eddie shot back.

"Hey!" Patricia exclaimed goodnaturedly. "If I can't joke about your writing, you can't joke about my phase of insecurity! Off limits!"

"Fair enough," Eddie said, scooping Patricia into a bear hug and kissing her soundly on the mouth. "I can't believe I won! Thank you for making me open that letter."

Patricia snorted. "Anytime. Knowing you, you probably threw out your college acceptance letters too." When Eddie didn't say anything, Patricia gasped. "Eddie!"

"But it's okay, because colleges also send out e-mails! Plus my mom _totally _find out them in the garbage can and told me about it later."

"Oh god. You threw away _acceptance _letters?"

"The packets should be bigger," Eddie huffed. "I assumed they were rejections! Hardly my fault they sent one measly piece of paper and spammed me with information packets later on."

"What school did you go to again?"

"Columbia."

"The ivy leagues will take _anyone _these days..."

"Oh, shut up," Eddie grumbled, refocusing his attention on the letter. "Oh, hey look. There's a celebratory dinner next weekend..."

* * *

Patricia and Eddie sat at a round table with a couple of the other winners and their dates. "Eddie," she whispered, nudging him under the table. "You never told me what you entered that got you the big win. I can't believe I forgot to ask."

"Oh..um..." Eddie looked away for a quick moment. "An excerpt from the book I'm working on...inspired by you. It's all about you, actually," he admitted shyly.

Touched, Patricia pressed a quick and gentle kiss to his lips. They both laughed, remembering her reaction at Fabian and Nina's wedding. They had come a long way since then.

"Too short," he complained, leaning in once more.

Patricia gently pushed Eddie's face away, winking. "We're at a very prestigious ceremony, incase you hadn't noticed," she teasingly informed. "We gotta keep it classy. Get with it."

Eddie feigned annoyance, but couldn't help but grin from ear to ear when his name was called. Popping out of his seat and gracefully making his way to the stage, he humbly accepted the plaque and gift card, beaming at everyone. When the host handed Eddie the microphone, he accepted it ready.

"I'm not the most eloquent of speakers but I think some thank yous are definitely in order. I would like to thank everyone who judged my story worthy of this award. I'm honored. I'd also like to thank everyone who read it in general. But most of all, I'd like to thank the person who inspired the whole piece. Patricia Williamson, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't moved in last fall. Thank you for having a beautiful soul, powerful and enticing enough to inspire the supposedly high quality of this story. But also, thanks for everything else too. Story or no story, you've completely changed my life. I love you..."

Eddie continued for a moment or two after that, politely concluding his thoughts, but Patricia didn't hear anything else. All she could do was think about Eddie's humble, heartfelt, on the spot speech.

_I love someone and that someone loves me back just as much_.

Not for the first time, Patricia marveled in what it felt like to be loved.

She had found a powerful, strong bond.

She had found a wonderful, beautiful person.

She didn't intend on letting him go.

* * *

**A/N: **That awkward moment when I realize I have NO clue how to properly end a chaptered fic. I hope those cliched couple of lines did the trick. Well everyone - this was the end. There will be an epilogue to tie up any loose ends but like I said before, this is basically the end. I truly hope everyone liked the way things turned out. This was my first full story, and I learned a lot from it. I'll stop by babbling here and save it for the note that will accompany the epilogue.

Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed. It meant so much! You all are crazy amazing and I hope to hear your comments on the latest chapter as well :)


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **So this is the epilogue and then there's no more. We've reached the end of what I hope was an enjoyable read. Thanks so much for sticking with me! Scroll to the bottom if you're interested in hearing me babble a little bit more about how amazing you all have been. OH and 200 reviews! Thanks so so so much :)

**Disclaimer:** House of Anubis belongs to Nickelodeon, not me.

* * *

**ONE YEAR LATER.**

Patricia strolled into the Barnes & Noble and blinked in surprise. She knew Eddie was talented, but the crowds never ceased to amaze her. He had a large pool of avid, eager fans wherever he went. She bypassed the long line and strode up to the table, cup of coffee in hand. Kissing his cheek, she set it in front of him and beamed. "How's it going, famous author dearest?"

Eddie signed another book before graciously accepting to take a picture with the young woman whom it belonged to. "I'm exhausted and my hand is cramping. But it's completely worth it," he declared with a shy smile. He too couldn't process the fact that he had become so successful, so quickly. That people liked his work so much. "So don't flaunt your coffee in front of my face," he complained. "It's unkind."

"It's for you," Patricia smiled at him, amused. "I put it right in front of you! It's obviously yours. Wow, you're seriously out of it."

"I'm a little tired," he admitted.

Eddie was more than a little tired. He was _exhausted._ The last few months had been a whirlwind of action. That fateful March evening at the awards ceremony had opened Patricia's eyes even further, if that was even possible. Sure, she had given him permission to continue the project. But after seeing how happy Eddie was being recognized for just a short story, Patricia had been blown away. Eddie's dreams had become hers. She _wanted _him to write a book and get published. She wanted the world to know how creative and talented he was.

And that's exactly what happened. With Patricia's fresh and sincere burst of encouragement, Eddie had the book finished in just another month. And because Eddie has risen through the ranks of his job after receiving that prestigious award, it wasn't very long at all before his manuscript had caught the attention of a well known publisher. Having connections certainly helped.

Before he knew it, he had signed a deal and the novel had hit stores. It wasn't the type of book Eddie had ever thought he would write. It wasn't strictly romance, but it certainly had an element of it. How could it not, with Patricia being the central focus of the entire thing? The book was targeted for young adults, maybe even mature teenagers. It was one of those coming of age stories; about personal and spiritual growth. Anyone who knew Eddie or Patricia could read it and easily pick out the portions that were based on real life.

For example, Fabian and Nina had both read it, sighing and gushing about the cuteness of the whole thing. Nina had literally gone through Eddie's novel cover to cover, highlighting her favorite parts or things that resembled the truth of her dear friends lives. Naturally, her copy was basically a mush of neon yellow text. She had gone a little crazy with the highlighting, she loved it _that _much.

"I loved your book," a young man gushed. "I have to be honest with you, I normally don't really read, but my girlfriend practically forced me to read _Destination Trust _and it was so freaking awesome. Really relatable..." he continued with awe.

Eddie grinned. The fact that people liked his work so much...it was everything he had ever wanted. "Thank you," he mouthed to Patricia, who was chatting with his agent. She caught him staring and rolled her eyes. If she was free to speak with him, Eddie knew exactly what Patricia would say. Probably because they'd had the same conversation so many times. Eddie would thank her profusely, for inspiring him and for coming in to his life. And Patricia would point out that his writing was all of his own doing and that his talent was strictly his. But she'd always blush and smile that cute smile of hers.

He signed another book, still watching Patricia out of the corner of his eye. As she waved her hands animatedly, Eddie caught sight of the beautiful silver ring shining on her finger. It had a sparkling emerald gem in the middle with smaller diamonds encrusted around it. It was her _engagement _ring. Eddie felt himself grinning for the hundredth time that day alone. Every time he saw Patricia and that ring, it reminded him that he had proposed to her. It reminded him that she had said _yes._

A full hearted, immediate affirmative response. Patricia had flung her arms around his neck (Eddie had protested because he was carrying two plates of food that he had so painstakingly cooked for them and this special dinner) and promptly burst into tears. Sighing, Eddie had managed to set the two plates down, hugging her back and stroking her hair. He remembered how Patricia had sniffled and muttered something about how she never thought she'd find someone who understood her.

But honestly speaking? Patricia's response wasn't his favorite part of how is proposal had went. It was the fact that she had said yes so quickly that made his heart soar. She _trusted _him. She hadn't had to think about it or doubt it or question it. Insecurities gone and replaced with his love, she had squealed yes practically before he had finished asking her.

And that was his favorite moment of that night. The proposal had been simple, but sweet. Eddie knew Patricia would appreciate him cooking a nice meal and having a pretty ring. That's really all he needed. She had of course, demanded he do it right. ("You were carrying food though! Do it over. Get on your knee and do it right!") And who was he to deny her that?

Since Eddie had proposed, it had been a couple months. They would start planning the wedding once his book tour was finished and hopefully be married within the next year. They had it all planned; things were absolutely perfect.

Patricia had passed her bar exam and Eddie had his book published. Patricia got her first job working at a reputable firm and Eddie got promoted. Finally, the two abandoned their separate apartments and moved in together, a little further uptown.

Everything had been easy and natural. Things had progressed exactly the way they should. Of course, there were fights every once in a while. Was it possible to be so emotionally close to someone without hurting them every once in a while? It was bound to happen. But making up was sweet, and usually very quick. They had grown to depend on one another; no one could stay mad at the other for very long.

It was the beginning of a long-lasting, beautiful kind of relationship. If things were this wonderful now, it would only be better when they were married.

They were destined to be happy.

* * *

**A/N: **Shorter than all the other chapters but hopefully sweet and effective! The epilogue covered what happened to both of their careers and their plans for the future and that's what I hoped it would do. So...all loose ends have been tied up. This is officially the end of "Destination Trust" and I'm honestly really going to miss it.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS! And for following/favoriting/and reviewing it! People left me the sweetest comments and I just wanted to reiterate and meaningful and special they were. I really do appreciate all the vocal support. It was incredible and generous and I love you all for being so awesome with the communication!

I'm really excited to have completed my first chaptered fic. I read it over, and honestly, there's a lot I'm unhappy with, at least stylistically. It makes me feel really happy that people call be an amazing writer, especially since I know I'm just fair. I think organization wise, there's a lot I can do to improve, and I definitely intend to do it. Hopefully I will be working on another chaptered story soon.

I've realized that I really enjoy writing AU Peddie! It's a little hard for me to write cannon full length Peddie stories just because I feel like they're very limited by their ties to Anubis House. Therefore my next story will probably also be AU. It probably won't be future, even though I definitely did enjoy writing Peddie as older. I actually do have two or three ideas for my next story, but I'm trying to decide which one to develop and pursue. If you're interested in reading more of my work, I urge you to add me to your alert list or favorite list or whichever/both.

I sincerely hope to interact with you guys soon and thanks again for everything!

Lots of love :)


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